


Sacred New Beginnings (That Became My Religion)

by emalemaleigh



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: Bedtime Stories, But also, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Kid Fic, Sohara, So’hara - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:34:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 27,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25842145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emalemaleigh/pseuds/emalemaleigh
Summary: Kelley and Emily look back on their lives together and all the firsts they’ve shared.
Relationships: Kelley O'Hara/Emily Sonnett, Tobin Heath/Christen Press
Comments: 126
Kudos: 214





	1. Hello

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I know who you are.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title of this story comes from “Cornelia Street” by Taylor Swift

“Mama? Mama! MAMA!”

Kelley shot up out of bed at the sound of her little girl’s cries. She raced down the hallway and opened her door.

“Gracie? What’s wrong, baby? Did you have a bad dream?” She knelt by the side of the bed, her daughter’s big, grey eyes watery with tears. She nods her head, her blonde hair falling in front of her face. Kelley gathered her in her arms and hugged her close. “Oh, it’s okay, baby. Mama’s here, it’s okay. Do you want to come sleep in my bed? I could use a cuddle buddy since Mommy’s not here.” She walks them back to the bedroom and laid her down.

“Can you tell me a story?” She whimpers and Kelley’s heart broke for her scared baby.

“A story? Hmm, I think I can do that.” Not counting other obvious reasons, this was one of the things she hated most about Emily being out of town. She was the creative one, the one who could come up with crazy stories about pirates and princesses, or ponies and their woodland creature friends. She was gone for another few days with the national team and Kelley missed her terribly. “I don’t know all the good ones like Mommy does but how about this: do you want to hear about the first time I met Mommy? It’s pretty good!” That brought a smile to her little girl’s face, showing off her first missing tooth that she lost a few days ago.

“Okay, once upon a time, long before you were even a twinkle in my eye, I met this pretty lady named Emily. Can you guess what we were doing?” She pulled her daughter in close, snuggling under the comforter.

“Playing soccer?”

***

Fresh off the high of winning a World Cup in 2015, Kelley was eager to get back to playing. The memory of scoring that goal and the winning celebrations were still at the forefront and she was itching to get back with her friends. She stepped out of the van and met Alex in the lobby of the hotel. They squealed and hugged, even though it hadn’t been but a month since they last saw each other.

That night, the team gathered for a team dinner/team meal. Jill spoke with the players, welcoming them back. She also mentioned that she was bringing on a couple of new, uncapped players in case they needed extra legs, plus it would be a good experience for them. They would arrive later the next day.

Kelley wasn’t really interested in trying to show a newbie the ropes right now, she just wanted to relish her own experience and have a good time. That’s what these games were for, a chance to play in front of the home fans and have fun. Kelley was never the one people went to for help anyways. That was always Becky or Abby. She knew she could be a bit abrasive at times, but she hated sugarcoating things. If she was playing poorly, she would want someone to tell her, not lie to make her feel better, and so she did the same for her teammates, though they may not always ask for it.

The first training the next morning was brutal. It reminded Kelley that she hadn’t been working out during their mini break as much as she should have. She was bent over, hands braced on her knees after a sprint set. Endurance was her thing, always has been, so getting her butt kicked in practice was a little too humbling. Before practice ended, Jill called everyone together in the center of the field. Standing with her was a group of younger players. Some she had met before, like Lindsey, and others that she hadn’t. Her eyes immediately caught another tall blonde lingering in the back of the crowd, fiddling with the sleeves of her shirt. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and her eyebrows were knitted; she was nervous.

Kelley tried to focus on Jill’s words, but she couldn’t take her eyes off this girl. She heard Jill introduce her.

_Emily Sonnett. UVA captain. Defender. Georgia._

Minus the UVA part, this girl on paper sounded a lot like Kelley. Converted defender and Georgia peach? Maybe she would have to rethink not making any new friends at this camp. She meets Emily’s eyes for a second in the middle of the huddle and Emily gives her a soft smile. 

_Damn, okay, maybe more than friends?_

No. No, Kelley has a girlfriend back in Jersey that she loves dearly and some new kid, no matter how pretty she was, wasn’t going to mess that up for her. She returned the smile and turned back to her coach.

Later, at team dinner, they got a chance to get to know some of the rookies a little better in a game of twenty questions. She learned that Emily loved to dance, considered herself a music connoisseur, that she had a twin sister who also played soccer, her favorite food was a peanut butter waffle from Waffle House (her favorite restaurant), and that she really wanted a dog.

After Emily got out of the hot seat, she dropped down across the table from Kelley, who stuck her hand out for Emily to shake. “I’m Kelley O’Hara, fellow defender.”

Kelley watched Emily’s face flush with color as she shook her hand. “I know who you are.”

This made Kelley raise an eyebrow and cock her head to the side. “Oh, you do?” She smirks.

“I mean, I watched the World Cup, I don’t live under a rock.” Emily chuckles. “That goal against Germany was so sick. You came in like, I don’t know, like a flying squirrel or something.”

“A flying squirrel, really? Why does everyone say I act like a squirrel? Should I be offended?”

Emily sat up straight, worried she had just insulted her new teammate, no doubt. “No, no, that’s not what I meant at all. I didn’t know other people called you that. But I think it’s a compliment, actually.”

“How so?”

“Squirrels are resourceful, but love to play and have fun too. They don’t take life too seriously all the time. Now, correct me if I’m wrong since we don’t know each other all that well, but that sounds kind of like you.”

Kelley had never thought of it that way, but Emily was right. For someone she had only met about six hours ago, Emily had gotten the measure of her immediately. She wasn’t sure anyone had ever read her that quickly before. Alex had just chalked it up to her being “a maniac” and Hope called her “insane”. She knew they meant well and didn’t see their words as criticisms the way that Kelley did, but sometimes she felt like that was all people expected of her, to be the wild and crazy source of entertainment. And now, standing in front of her was this girl who seemed to get it.

“Thank you, no one’s ever put it that way.” Kelley doesn’t realize until it’s too late that she’s reaching for Emily’s hand. Before she can, the bubble around them pops.

Across the room, Lindsey calls out. “Sonnett! Come here, I have to show you something!”

At the same time, Christen plops down into the seat next to her, but her eyes were tracking a certain brunette also sitting with Lindsey.

Emily gets up to leave, turning back to Kelley one last time. “Nice to meet you, Kelley O’Hara.”

“Nice to meet you, Sonnett.” If Kelley thought that Emily’s little, soft smile on the field was cute, it was nothing compared to the big, toothy grin she flashed right before heading to the other side of the room.

“She seems nice, don’t you think, Chris?” Kelley teased.

“What?” Christen snapped her head around, having not paid any attention to whatever Kelley was talking about.

“Maybe you should follow Sonnett over to that table too.”

“Why would I do that?” Christen tried to sound innocent but her eyes were already fixed back on the same person.

Once she was seated, Emily turned back around again to get one more look at Kelley. Their eyes met across the room.

Right then, Kelley knew she was in trouble.

***

Kelley looked down at her child in her arms, who was softly snoring. How they had gotten from that day to now had been one rollercoaster after another, but it all led to this little human being born. Kelley shifted quietly in the bed, grabbing her phone and taking a sweet selfie of the two of them to send to Emily.

 **_Hot Mama:_ ** _We miss you!_

 **_Dancing Queen:_ ** _Aww, my two best girls. I miss you guys so much!_

 **_Dancing Queen:_ ** _Nightmare? Or were you just lonely?_

 **_Hot Mama:_ ** _Both? I told her the story of the day we met, knocked her right out._

 **_Dancing Queen:_ ** _That was a good day._

 **_Hot Mama:_ ** _I love you, come home soon._

 **_Dancing Queen:_ ** _Wild horses couldn’t keep me away_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve never tried to write two stories at the same time so forgive any weird updating schedule.
> 
> I hope you like this, it definitely a load of fluff. Please let me know in the comments what you thought. They are the fuel for my inspiration!


	2. Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It's more fun this way."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank y'all so much for the love on the first chapter!

“Gracie girl, where are you? It’s bedtime!” Kelley called down the hallway. Unbeknownst to her, Emily and their little girl were hiding behind the bed, lying in wait. Emily pressed a finger to her lips, the toddler trying her absolute hardest not to laugh. 

“Come out, come out wherever you are!” Kelley calls, walking into the bedroom. Emily counted to three silently and they jumped out from behind the bed. 

“AHHH!” They cried, causing Kelley to fall backwards into the door frame, somehow maintaining enough composure not to curse in front of her kid. 

“Oh, my goodness! Two against one? Not fair!” She shouts in mock outrage. 

“It was Mommy’s idea!” Gracie giggles. 

“What?! Grace O’Hara, you traitor!” Emily dropped her carefully on to the bed, causing more giggles as Emily leaned in to tickle her. 

“Okay, my crazy girls, it’s bedtime. Gracie, do you want to pick a story for Mommy to read?” Their daughter shook her head. 

“No story?” Emily questioned. Usually it took at least two books to get her to sleep. 

“I want Mama’s story!’ 

Emily looked up at Kelley quizzically and her wife shrugged, unsure. “What story, baby?” Kelley cooed, sitting on the edge of the bed. 

“About you and Mommy, about falling in love!” She squealed. 

“Oh!” Emily exclaimed. “Do you want to hear about the first time I made Mama dinner? You know I make the best dinners, right?” 

Kelley shook her head. “Microwave chicken nuggets don’t count.” 

Emily laid down in the bed next to their little girl, snuggling close. “So, once upon a time, I asked this pretty girl if she wanted to have dinner.” 

*** 

Emily was more nervous than she’d ever been in her life. More nervous than watching the Olympic quarterfinal against Sweden from the bench, more nervous than when she’d started the first time for her country and, somehow, more nervous than the NWSL final. Her hands were a little shaky, so she gripped her phone tighter as she walked down the hallway. She stepped outside to the warm Florida air and the sounds of her teammates splashing around in the hotel pool. They had just finished their last training of camp, everyone going their separate ways that night or the next morning. 

Watching her friends play around, her eyes were drawn automatically to one person in particular. This one person was rocking a black bikini that showed off her abs, her brown hair slicked back from the water, and her hazel eyes hidden by a pair of wayfarers. Her laugh was something Emily could pick out in a crowd, always just a little louder than anyone else. Emily just watched her for a moment, saw her jump on Sam and try to shove her underwater to no avail. Saw her splash Tobin and Christen, who were sitting on the other side of the pool, just the two of them.

Suddenly, she’s snapped out of her trance when she hears her own name. “Sonny! Come on, are you just going to stand there all day?” Lindsey called. 

Emily smirked and took off running, pulling her knees to her chest and executing a perfect cannonball, catching Lindsey with most of her waves, causing her best friend to shriek. 

“You are the worst! I didn’t want to get my hair wet!” 

“You’re in a pool, Linds. Scale of 1-10, how awesome was that cannonball?” 

“A two because I hate you.” 

Emily could feel someone swimming toward them. 

“A two? I smell corruption. What are you, a French skating judge?” Kelley hopped onto Emily’s back, her hands on Emily’s shoulders. “Definitely at least a six.” She giggles. 

“A six? Man, this is some harsh critique!” She turned her head to look at Kelley. _Big mistake._

Kelley had pushed her sunglasses up on top of her head and her eyes were sparkling a little too mischievously. Emily swore this girl could see right through to her soul sometimes. For a brief moment, she forgot they were surrounded by their teammates. For a moment, it felt like they were the only two people in the world when Kelley smiled at her like that. So big that it made her eyes crinkle and her nose scrunch just a little. Emily could feel the pads of her fingers resting gently on her shoulders, Kelley’s strong legs wrapped around her waist, holding herself afloat. As she turned back around to face Lindsey, Emily felt a strong chin rest in the space where her neck and collarbone met. It was hard to focus on the conversation when she could feel the warm puffs of Kelley’s breath against her skin. She was thankful they were in a pool, where it wouldn’t be obvious that she was sweating. 

Lindsey keeps talking and Emily tries her darndest to pay attention to the story about Rose getting locked in the bathroom that morning, but it was fruitless. 

“You okay?” Kelley asked softly. That was the other part of the problem. Recently, it seemed that the only person Kelley ever bothered to be soft with was Emily. Kelley was loud and brash in the best way, but with Emily, her voice was softer, her touch was softer, and it drove her insane. 

She lowered a hand to grip Kelley’s leg. “Yeah, all good here.” She tries her to sound smooth, hoping Kelley couldn’t feel her heart beating out of her chest or her shaking hands. She seemed to let it go for a little while, though still clinging tightly to Emily, who had not moved her hand. 

“Are you going back to Portland or Atlanta?” Kelley asked later as they reached for their towels. 

“Home for a little while, my parents say they miss me.” Emily smiled. 

“How could anyone not miss you?” And that hits a little different when it’s just the two of them, and it feels like maybe it’s meant to. 

“Beats me, I’ve been told I’m irresistible.” 

Kelley snorts at that. “Okay, sure, Em.” She’s not sure when it started happening, when Kelley started calling her by that nickname, unable to point to a specific moment, but it always felt best coming from her. Like a private joke between them, though there wasn’t anything funny about it. 

Lindsey had called her Em once, and Emily spun around to look at her as if she had three heads. “Oh, so only Kelley gets to call you that name? Did you forget who’s your best friend?” 

Emily loves Lindsey. Everything about their friendship made her happy. Where Emily could be a little too wild, Lindsey was always there to reel her back in before she did anything too crazy. She always laughed at Emily’s jokes, even if they were about her. All Lindsey ever cared about was soccer and her friends, and she showed equal amounts of dedication to both. Lindsey was never one to dwell on things, so the name thing was dropped almost immediately because she was bored of the conversation. 

“We should get together when we’re both back.” Here it was, an opening. Kelley had been single for a while now and Emily had waited patiently for what she would call “the appropriate amount of time” but she had started to feel like her window was closing. There was no way Kelley would stay single for very long, anyone who had eyes could tell you that. _Well, here goes nothing._

“Would you want to get dinner together? Or you could come to my place and I’ll make you something.” 

Kelley quirked her eyebrow, the tiniest hint of a smile playing on her lips. “Are you asking me on a date, Em?” 

“Depends. Are you going to say yes?” They stare at each other for a moment, and then Emily watches Kelley as her eyes travel up and down her body. 

“Took you long enough, I wasn’t sure how many more hints I could drop!” Kelley laughed and Emily’s jaw fell open. 

“You could have asked me too, you know.” 

“Yeah, but it’s more fun this way.” Kelley leaned in and smacked Emily’s cheek with a kiss. “Can’t wait to see what you’re going to make me.” 

*** 

Emily considered herself a decent cook, always had. Her mom had always let her help make dinner and even Thanksgiving and Christmas meals once she was old enough to be left alone with the stove (which may have been a lot longer than one might think). She had asked Lindsey the night before what she should make, unable to come to a decision on her own. 

“Your salmon, it’s the best thing you’ve ever made me.” Lindsey said, though Emily could tell she was busy doing something else on the other end of the phone and wasn’t giving her full attention. 

“Kelley’s vega-tarian, Linds!” 

“Um. Son, it’s vegetarian, one word.” 

“Sometimes she’s vegan, other times vegetarian. I don’t know if she’s sometimes pescatarian.” Emily was exasperated. 

“Why would someone do that to themselves? It’s like they want to eat bad food.” 

“Not helping right now!” 

She would regret it later, but Emily looked up a fairly simple vegan recipe to try. 

When she opened the door, Emily was frozen. It wasn’t like she was wearing anything remotely fancy, but Kelley looked _good_. Her jeans had little rips at the knees and her cable-knit, cowl neck sweater was just a little too big for her small frame. She had her hair pulled into a bun and her favorite (Emily knew) gold hoop earrings. Suddenly, Emily felt horribly under dressed in her leggings. 

“Em? Are you going to invite me in?” 

Emily’s snapped out of her stupor, seeing Kelley smile at her. For some reason, that’s what put her at ease, seeing that she can still make Kelley smile. She ushered her into the small apartment, one Kelley had been to on numerous occasions, but now it felt a little different. 

“Something smells good!” Kelley wandered into the kitchen. 

“Hopefully it’ll taste good. It’s almost done so make yourself at home, there’s beer in the fridge if you want it.” 

Kelley sat down in the oversized armchair in the living room, turning her body so she could still see Emily, and tucked her legs under her. Emily busied herself trying to put together the final pieces of the meal. She could feel Kelley’s eyes on her, following her around the kitchen. She tried not to let it make her more nervous than she already was. She chances a look across the bar top and seeing her so comfortable here sent a wave of warmth through Emily’s body. 

“What?” She chuckles. 

“Nothing.” Kelley smiled. “Just like watching you work.” 

A few minutes later, Emily placed the dish of eggplant bake onto the counter and cut out a piece for each of them. She was silently praying that it tasted good, not having much practice with vegan cooking. 

“It looks wonderful, Em. You didn’t have to make something vegan for me though, I don’t always follow the hard and fast rules.” She smirked from across the table before taking a bite. 

“Taste good?” Emily questioned, not really looking for an answer before cutting into her own food. The second she started chewing, she felt her face go sour. She wasn’t sure where she’d gone wrong, but it was awful. She stared across the table at Kelley, who was quietly eating little bites, refusing to make eye contact. 

“You were really going to eat that whole thing, even though it tastes awful, weren’t you?” Emily asked, incredulous. 

Kelley looked up, sheepishly. “You made this for me, and you worked hard on it.” 

“And it’s terrible! Stop putting this terrible stuff in your body!” Emily jumped up, taking their plates to the kitchen, dumping them in the sink a little too harshly, hoping nothing chipped. She stands there for a moment, rubbing her temples. The whole night was ruined now. She might as well tell Kelley to go home, after basically poisoning her. Trapped in her own thoughts, she didn’t notice Kelley follow her from the table and was surprised when she wrapped Emily in a hug from behind. 

“Hey. Hey, Em, it’s okay.” Her soothing voice pushed all the tension out of Emily’s body. Kelley turned her around and ran her hands up and down Emily’s arms. “Let’s just order pizza, yeah?” They both nodded. 

An hour later, they were both sitting on the couch, pizza box on the coffee table. They sat at opposite ends, but Kelley had laid her feet in Emily’s lap after finishing her plate. They sat there, giggling at the show on TV, and Emily had forgotten why she was so nervous in the first place. She massaged Kelley’s ankle absentmindedly, like a thousand times before, and Kelley wiggled into it, her eyes closing with a soft, contented smile. 

“So, would you want to do this again sometime?” Emily stammered as Kelley was getting ready to leave. It was past midnight, beyond what might be considered normal for a first date. “I won’t try to cook for you again, promise.” She jokes, her immediate defense mechanism, preparing herself to be let down. 

“I’d like that.” Emily’s eyes snapped up to look at her. 

“Really?” 

Kelley looked at her like she had three heads. “Did you think I didn’t have fun tonight?” 

“I did try to poison you so I would understand if...” 

She’s cut off when Kelley pulls her into deep hug, burying her face in Emily’s neck for a quick second. 

“I like you, Emily Sonnett. I like you a whole lot. So, stop worrying about impressing me or making me feel comfortable. I just want to be here with you, okay?” She pulls back so they’re face to face again. “Next time, I’m taking you out where someone else can cook for us.” They both laugh, and everything is easy again. 

*** 

Emily looked down to see her little girl fast asleep under the comforter. 

“I still have nightmares about that eggplant dish sometimes.” Kelley quips, leaning against the door frame.

“Well, that’s just rude.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do we think? I hope y'all enjoyed this installment! Please leave a comment below if you did, they are my favorite part!


	3. Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hey there, sleepyhead.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The world is heavy place right now, I hope I can inject a little levity and bring a smile to someone's face, if only for a brief moment.

“Kel? Kelley, I’m home.” 

Emily whispered, slowly pushing the front door closed, trying to make as little noise as possible. It was late at night and the house was completely dark. She had texted her wife to let her know when she left the airport and Kelley had promised to wait up. As she made her way through the house, she noticed the lights were dimmed in the kitchen. 

When she stepped in the room, she saw Kelley sitting at the counter, both hands wrapped around a cup of tea. She put her finger to her lips, pointing to the breakfast nook. On the bench seat, Gracie was curled up in her blanket, fast asleep. 

“Welcome home, babe.” Kelley whispered, leaning back just a little into Emily's chest. 

“Hi. What’s with squirt over there? You get a new drinking buddy?” 

Kelley snorted, then immediately whipped her head around to see if she’d woken her daughter. “Yeah, she’s a lightweight though.” She spun around in the barstool to face Emily. “She wanted to wait up for Mommy. She lost another tooth at dinner.” 

“How? All you feed her is tofu!” 

That earns Emily a smack on the arm, but then Kelley leaned in and pressed their lips together for the first time since Emily went to camp. They may have gotten a little too into the kissing because they didn’t notice Gracie wake up and amble over to them. The little girl reached for Kelley’s shirt, tugging on the hem. 

“Oh sh--” 

Kelley quickly cuts her off, kneeling down to her daughter’s height. “Hi there, sleepyhead! Look who’s home!” 

“Mommy!” Gracie squealed, flinging her tiny arms around Emily’s neck. Kelley smiled, leaning into her wife’s side. 

Emily carried Gracie up to her room, tucking her into bed while Kelley watched from the armchair across the room. The same one she and Emily sat in to rock their colicky newborn to sleep years ago. 

“Alright munchkin, what story do you want to hear?” 

“Why did Mama kiss you?” 

“Who said Mama kissed me? Maybe I kissed her.” 

The little blonde shook her head, giggling. “Mama said!” 

Emily turned to face Kelley, giving her a quizzical look. 

“Oh, you don’t remember, do you?” Kelley walked over, laying down on the bed. “Well, once upon a time, there were two magical cups of coffee...” 

*** 

Kelley couldn’t stop thinking about her. She and Emily had gone on their second date that night, to a fancy, new place in downtown Atlanta where they ate and got to dance. She loved watching Emily dance, she was so free of all her nerves and insecurities when she was moving, just like on the soccer field. When they were pressed together, Kelley wondered what would happen if she kissed her right there, in the middle of the dance floor. She considered it, but she wanted their first kiss to be important, something to remember. 

They were both off to their respective teams at the end of the week and she didn’t want to leave without making sure what they had was concrete. She didn’t think they could have the “what are we” conversation if they hadn’t actually done anything beyond what two close friends might do. Emily walked her to her apartment, their hands linked as they strolled down the street. Once they reached the lobby of her building, Emily pulled out her phone to order an Uber. 

“Do you want to come up for a little while?” Kelley asked softly. Emily’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates and she realized what her words might have implied. “Oh! No, no, no! I just meant like for a cup of coffee or something.” 

“Maybe tomorrow instead? I’m beat and I think I might pass out on your couch if I do come up.” Emily answered, though Kelley thought it might be cute if she did fall asleep on the couch. As if to drive her point home, Emily yawned heavily and rested her head against the wall outside the apartment building. 

“Tomorrow, then. You’ll come here?” 

With a lazy, sleepy smile, Emily nodded. 

“Okay. Well then, get going or you’re going to fall asleep standing up! Text me when you get home?” Emily nodded again. 

Kelley watched her get into the car and drive off down the road before she made her way up to her home. As she got ready for bed, her mind wandered back to their night out together. She thought about how excited she felt to see Emily waiting for her at a table, waving obnoxiously. She thought about how Emily had poured over the menu, analyzing each item and trying to decide. Other people might have found her indecision to be annoying, but Kelley thought it was one of her most endearing traits, the way she wanted everything to be perfect. 

They’d fought about it, but Emily let her pay. Since she had made dinner for them on their first date, it seemed right to Kelley. Even after she handed off her credit card, Emily pouted just a little. That is, until Kelley laced their hands together, turning that frown into a smile. 

Kelley pulled the comforter up and over her, and as she leaned over to grab her charger, her phone vibrated in her hand. 

**_Sonny:_ ** _safe and sound_

**_Kelley:_ ** _Thank goodness_

**_Sonny:_** _can’t wait to see you tomorrow_

**_Kelley:_ ** _Me neither! Sleep tight_

The next morning, Kelley was woken up abruptly out of her deep sleep by a knock on her door. Without thinking, she made her way to the door and opened it. Emily Sonnett was on the other side, two cups of coffee in her hand. She stood there, sputtering and then Kelley realized what she had worn to bed that night, or what she _hadn’t_ worn. She was standing in front of Emily wearing nothing but a t-shirt and her underwear. 

“Holy...” Emily choked, dropping both cups of coffee on the floor, hot liquid splashing up and stinging Kelley’s bare legs. “Oh my God, I am so sorry. Kel, I can come back later, I’ll go get us some more.” She rambled, reaching down to pick up the now-empty cups. 

Kelley grabbed her hand and pulled her inside. “Let me change really quick. Make yourself at home, please?” She squeezed Emily’s hand, wanting to calm her down. She took off back to her room and saw herself in the mirror, her bedhead was out of control and some of her makeup hadn’t come off from the night before. She looked like an absolute mess and her embarrassment was overwhelming. She was in and out of the shower in 30 seconds, pulling a comb through her hair a little too roughly. She pulled on some leggings and an old sweatshirt before slipping her feet into moccasins. 

Stepping back out into the hallway, Kelley poked her head out and looked for Emily. She was sat on the couch, her head resting heavily against the back. Her soft breathing told Kelley that in the five minutes she had been gone, Emily had fallen asleep. 

She tiptoed into the kitchen to switch on the coffee maker. Breakfast at home was much more appealing anyways. She worked quietly, hoping that the frying pan wouldn’t be too loud and wake Emily up. She poured the coffee into two mugs and left the food on the warm setting. She sat down on the other end of the couch as lightly as she could. The dip in the cushion caused Emily to shift just a little in her sleep, her head rolling to rest on her shoulder. 

Kelley sat in the silence, feet tucked under her and sipping coffee. _This is nice_ , she thought to herself. It was nice to have her here, to have her feel so at home here. Kelley thought she could get used to Emily being here in the morning. It took everything in her to not lay next to her and cuddle as the morning sun rose higher and higher. 

Eventually, she started to stir. She slowly picked her head up, her eyes blinking slowly. She looked around the room, as if she had momentarily forgotten where she was. 

“Hey there, sleepyhead.” Emily jumped just a little, unaware that Kelley was sitting next to her. 

“How long was I out?” Her voice was thick with sleep and just a little scratchy, which Kelley loved. 

“I don’t know, maybe an hour?” 

“You let me sleep that long? What about breakfast?” 

“Seemed like maybe you needed it. I made us some food. Don’t worry, I won't let you starve.” Kelley got up from the couch and brought a mug over, pushing it into Emily’s hands. “This is better anyways. It’s nice to wake up slow when you can.” She smiled at Emily, patting her thigh. 

Emily turned in her seat, tossing her legs across Kelley’s lap. “You’re right, this is nice.” She grinned from ear to ear. 

They sat like that until Emily’s stomach growled louder than anything Kelley had ever heard. She giggled as she stood, reaching out to help Emily up as well. With one tug, their faces were suddenly inches apart. Suddenly, Kelley could count every freckle if she wanted to. She noticed Emily had a tiny one right on the tip of her nose and she had the overwhelming urge to put her lips to it. Emily started to step toward the kitchen, but Kelley pulled her back. Before she could talk herself out of it, she surged forward and pressed their lips together. 

Kelley had been thinking about what their first kiss might be like, but nothing could have prepared her for the real thing. The way they fit together was like something out of a movie, until it wasn’t. So caught up in the moment, she momentarily forgot about the half empty mug in her hand. As she reached to wrap her arms around Emily’s neck, she ended up dumping her coffee down Emily’s back. 

“Oh, my God! Are you okay?” They pulled apart abruptly as the brown liquid seeped through Emily’s t-shirt. _Thank goodness it was lukewarm at best,_ Kelley thought. 

“I’m fine, Kel.” Emily laughed. Can I borrow a shirt though?” 

“Of course, I’ll grab one for you.” 

Kelley was positive she had blown it, there was no way Emily would have enjoyed that. She just needed to clean up, needed to avoid the bigger situation that should have been taken care of. She scrambled out of Emily’s space and made to take off down the hallway, when she was jerked back. Emily hadn’t let go of her hand. Before she could figure out what was happening, Emily kissed her again. This time it was slower, and Kelley melted into it. 

Soon enough, they separated to catch their breath and Emily’s grin was back. 

“What was that for?” Kelley cocked her head to the side. 

“Just wanted to. Making sure you know that dousing me in coffee isn’t going to scare me off.” 

Kelley rested her forehead against Emily’s shoulder. “You might have been singing a different tune if it was hot.” She laughed. Emily placed her mug on the table and wrapped her arms around Kelley, holding her close. 

“Maybe. Now, about that new shirt?” 

*** 

“Is she out? Em?” Kelley whispered, pinned to the bed by little Gracie. She looked up and saw that her daughter wasn’t the only one who had been lulled to sleep by her story. Emily’s head was flopped back against the armchair, her lips slightly parted and she breathed deeply. 

Slowly, Kelley untangled herself from the toddler’s limbs, tiptoeing over to wake up her wife. She gently nudged Emily’s arm, causing her eyelids to flutter open. 

“Hey there, sleepyhead.” Kelley pressed a kiss to Emily’s forehead and then bringing up her finger to her lips, making sure Emily stayed quiet. 

As they walked out of the room, Emily grabbed Kelley’s hand and pulled her into a chaste kiss. “I never got that coffee out of my shirt, you owe me.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed. This may not have been the story you were hoping I'd update but the other one is coming! Please let me know what you thought, the comments do brighten my day. As always, be safe and remember: you matter.


	4. Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just the teeniest bit of angst amid all the fluff.

“I’m all done!” Gracie announced at the dinner table. 

“Honey, you haven’t eaten any of your veggies. You know the rules, no leaving the table until your plate is clean, and your milk is finished.” Kelley told her. 

“But I don’t want veggies! I want ice cream!” 

Kelley cast a glace across the table to Emily, hoping for her support. Their dynamic always made Kelley the bad cop, the rule enforcer and follower, where Emily got to be the fun mom, the one that Gracie always ran to. Emily’s consistent absences from her family sometimes furthered the problem. Kelley loved that Emily was still a stalwart for the national team and that she was finally thriving in her career, but it was tough when your co-parent was across the country or across the globe for weeks at a time. And, of course, that meant her time at home was special and fun. Not as much time for rule following and consequences. 

“Munchkin.” Emily said with a stern voice (or at least as stern as she could, especially while using that nickname). “You have to finish your plate and then we can talk about ice cream.” 

“No!” Their baby whined, smacking her tiny hand on the table. 

“Grace Alexandra O’Hara, you have two choices. You can finish your dinner and then we can have dessert, or you can go to your room.” Kelley said, doing her best to keep her voice even. 

“I hate you!” Gracie screamed, throwing her broccoli at her mother. 

Emily sprang into action immediately, scooping her daughter out of her chair. She looked over at her wife, who was frozen. Of course, Kelley knew that raising a toddler wasn’t easy, knew there would be moments like this, moments where she doubted herself and her parenting abilities. But Gracie had never said she _hated_ Kelley; she had hoped that wouldn’t be a problem until she hit her pre-teen years. Now, Kelley could feel the tears about to fall down her face. She looked up at Emily, who was doing her best to hold their screaming, squirming baby and hoped that there was something on her face that conveyed how thankful she was for her partner. 

“Okay, you made your choice! I guess it’s time to get ready for bed.” Emily carried her up to the bedroom, closing the door behind her. She sat her little girl down on her bed, crouching down to meet her eyes, a mirror image of her own grey-blue ones, which had tears streaming out. “Grace, do you understand why we’re up here?” 

She shook her little head violently, her wispy blonde hair fanning out all around her. “Because Mama said so.” 

“But why did Mama say you had to go to your room?” 

“Broccoli. I don’t like broccoli.” Even though she was _biologically_ Emily’s, this stubborn and irrational streak that sometimes flared was _all_ Kelley. 

“Is that what you told her?” Emily made a pointed face and Gracie shook her head again. “Baby, you were not nice to Mama and you made her very sad.” Her little girl just huffed. “I’ll tell you what. Can I tell you a story about me and Mama? About why we apologize when we make people sad?” 

*** 

Emily knew this was a bad idea. They hadn’t been together for that long, but she hated lying to Kelley. 

2017 had been one of the hardest years in her soccer career. Sure, making it to the NWSL postseason was great, but she hadn’t seen the field for her country in nearly a year. If she didn’t do something to make a change, she’d never make it back to the national team. She had talked to Jill and talked to her Thorns coaches, all of whom agreed that going to Australia would be beneficial for her. 

The only problem was Kelley. Kelley, who was the _best_ girlfriend even from across the country, who had been counting down the days until the end of the season so they could finally see each other regularly. How was Emily supposed to tell her that she was going to be nearly 10,000 miles away instead? And she had to tell her, fast. Emily couldn’t risk this information leaking before she got to tell Kelley herself. Thankfully, their last regular season game was in New Jersey. 

Emily fidgeted and bounced almost the whole plane ride, much to Lindsey’s chagrin. Lindsey didn’t complain though, she knew what was going on and why Emily was so nervous. It didn’t stop her from rolling her eyes every so often though. 

Portland won the game handedly, but Emily’s brain had been elsewhere all afternoon. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn’t notice Kelley sneak up behind her, yelping when her eyes were covered and reacting by throwing out her arms, nearly smacking Kelley in the face. 

“Well, hello to you too!” Kelley joked, pressing her lips, curled into a smile, to Emily’s cheek. 

They had the rest of the evening to spend together before Emily's team flew back to Portland in the morning, and she promised herself that she would share her news by then. Kelley took her out to a fun hole-in-the-wall near the beach, even though it was too cold to actually swim or sit outside. She loved it though, Kelley was always at her best when she was on the water. Living this close to the ocean made her so happy and Emily loved to see how much bigger her smile got when they talked about surfing or summertime. They did walk along the boardwalk, gloved fingers laced together. 

Kelley was going on and on about the things they would do together in Atlanta, about maybe taking a trip somewhere tropical, and just how excited she was that they’d be together. Emily just couldn’t take it anymore, she felt like she might explode from nervousness. 

“I’m going to Australia!” She blurts. Kelley stopped dead and dropped Emily’s hand. 

“What?” 

“I’m going to Australia. I got an offer to play in the W-League for the winter.” Kelley was turned away from her and all Emily wanted was to be able to see her face, to gauge her reaction. “Jill told me to do it.” 

“Of course, she did.” Kelley spat. 

“Kel, I haven’t played all year. I need this.” She reached for her hand, which dangled at her side. As soon as Emily made contact, Kelley flinched away. 

“When did you decide this?” 

“About a month ago.” 

This time, Kelley spun around, her eyes sparkling with a mixture of anger and hurt. “A MONTH? And you’re just now telling me? I thought part of being in a relationship was not needing to keep secrets from each other. I thought you trusted me.” Her voice was wavering. 

Emily was frozen under her stare. This was what she wanted to avoid, what she had hoped wouldn't happen. “Of course, I trust you; I just didn’t know how to tell you.” 

“It took you a whole month to figure that out?” Kelley yelled. “Didn’t seem like you spent much time thinking about it, at least to me. It sure doesn’t feel like you trust me, Em. I cannot believe this; I cannot believe you.” Emily wasn’t sure she’d ever seen this side of Kelley off the field, and even then, she had never been on the receiving end. They’d never fought like this before. 

“What should I have done? I don’t want to go there; I want to be here. I want to be with you, I want to be with you all the time.” 

“If you wanted to be with me then you shouldn’t have kept this from me. Let me guess, Lindsey already knows, doesn’t she?” Emily was too shaken to actually nod her head and Kelley took it as confirmation. “So, you felt okay to tell her, but not me. Maybe you should date Lindsey then, since she seems to be more important to you.” 

_Tha_ _t_ _couldn’t be farther from the truth_ , Emily thought. Lindsey had been in the room when Jill suggested the W-League just by sheer happenstance. Emily spent most of her conversation with Lindsey trying to figure out how to tell Kelley. Lindsey had been adamant about transparency, saying that the longer Emily waited the worse it was going to be. She hated when Lindsey was right. 

“Kelley... I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.” Her voice trembled, on the verge of tears. 

“Well, you should probably get back to your hotel. I guess I’ll see you at January camp.” Kelley snapped. 

Was this it? Was this the end of relationship that she had spent years waiting for? Emily was heartbroken by her response. She wasn’t sure what she had expected to come from this but Kelley dumping her wasn’t something she had thought of. But she also knew that there was no reasoning with her right now, not when she was this angry. 

“Okay.” Emily’s shoulders were slumped as she sat down to call an Uber back to the hotel. Kelley kept walking down the sidewalk, her arms crossed defensively over her chest. 

Once she was back in her hotel room, Emily curled under her sheets and buried her face into a pillow. Lindsey had seemed concerned when she walked in, but her best friend seemed to understand that Emily needed a little time. She tried but sleep never came. All she could think about was the lasts. Was that the last time Kelley would kiss her? Was it the last time Emily would hold her hand? Would they really not see each other again until January? then she realized, no it would be longer. The season was through February. There were still so many firsts she had imagined with Kelley that she hadn’t gotten to have yet. Her eyes stung as she forced herself not to cry. If she cried, she knew Lindsey wouldn’t be able to stop herself from asking questions. 

Later that night, just before Lindsey turned off the reading light, there was a soft knock on the door. Lindsey looked over to Emily’s bed, seeing she wasn’t making any effort to get up, and opened the door. 

“Hey, is she awake?” Emily knew who it was as soon as she opened her mouth, the voice she could pick out in any crowd. If Lindsey said anything, Emily couldn’t make it out. All she did hear was the door closing again and suddenly the far edge of her bed dipped just barely. 

“Em? Em, it’s me. Are you awake?” Kelley asked softly, resting her palm on Emily’s calf. 

Emily turned just slightly so that she could meet Kelley’s eyes, eyes that were red rimmed from crying. It seemed Lindsey had left the room too, at least for now. 

“Hi.” Emily wasn’t sure how to react to her presence. “Come to yell at me some more?” 

“No.” Kelley slid just a little closer on the bed. “Em, I’m so sorry. I acted like a child and you didn’t deserve any of it.” She reached forward, hoping to take Emily’s hand in her own. Emily didn’t pull away. 

“I don’t want to go, Kel.” Emily said, her voice on the edge of tears. “I want to stay here, but...” 

Kelley didn’t let her finish, instead leaning all the way in and covering Emily's body with her own, wrapping her in a hug. “But you have to. I get it Em, I really do. I’m so sorry that I got mad and made it about myself.” 

“I’m sorry I waited to tell you. I was scared of what you would say or do.” She breathed in Kelley’s hair. She always boasted about her organic, non-GMO, vegan friendly shampoo and Emily hated to admit it smelled amazing. 

Kelley buried her face into Emily’s chest. “And I confirmed that reasoning. God, sorry doesn’t seem to be enough. I just want to be around you all the time and I had planned all these things; I was just caught off guard and handled it like a baby.” 

“So, you’re not mad at me?” 

Kelley lifted her head and looked Emily in the eye, her eyes sparking again, but this time with what Emily could only describe as a mixture of adoration and sadness. She pressed her lips to Emily softly and smiled when she pulled away. “I could never be mad at you, Emily Sonnett. I’m upset that you’re going to leave, and mad I can’t go with you, but I’m not mad at _you_.” 

Emily pulled Kelley back down onto her chest, hugging her tightly. “You know, you _could_ come with me. Plenty of surfing to do down under.” She said in a terrible Australian accent. 

“I think a visit could be arranged. Maybe for New Years?” 

Emily buried her nose in Kelley’s hair, breathing her in again. Those three little words were swimming around in the back of her head, just like they had been for weeks now. If she wasn’t careful, they’d spill out right then and there. But then, she thought to herself, _would it be so bad?_

*** 

The stairs creaked as Emily walked down them, carrying Gracie in her arms. She walked into the dining room to see her wife still sitting in her chair, head in her hands, pieces of broccoli still scattered across the table and the floor. 

“Hey, Kel?” Her words make Kelley look up, her eyes a little red. “Someone has something they wanted to tell you.” Emily placed her little girl on the floor, letting her scurry over to Kelley. 

“I’m sorry, Mama.” Gracie said quietly, her eyes looking down, refusing to meet her mother’s as Kelley pulled her into her lap at the table. 

“And what are you sorry for, Grace?” Emily reminded. 

“I’m sorry I threw my food. I’m sorry I made you sad.” Gracie threw her arms around Kelley's neck. 

Kelley looked over at Emily for a moment, her eyes watery with tears. “Thank you, baby. I forgive you.” She kissed the little girl’s forehead before setting her back down. “You know, I think there might still be some ice cream left in the freezer. Why don’t you check?” 

Gracie skipped off to the kitchen and Emily made to follow her. Before she could cross the threshold out of the room, Kelley pulled her in close and kissed her softly. 

“I love you so much. I don’t know what I did to deserve you.” She nestled against Emily's chest. 

“Me neither honestly, you are so needy.” That earned Emily a smack on the arm. “I love you too, Kel. And wherever life may take us, be it Australia, Jersey, Utah, Florida, Sweden, Oregon, or right here at home, I’ll always love you.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's not the one you want updated, but this has been ready for a while and I wanted to share it. Please let me know what you think in the comments, I love reading them! Stay safe out there, everyone!


	5. Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "How did you know waffles are my favorite?”

“Now remember, we have to be as quiet as we can, okay?” Kelley whispered as she led her daughter into the kitchen. Gracie nodded emphatically, putting her index finger to her lips. 

Kelley picked her up and sat her on the edge of the counter, letting her help fill the plate with fruit and design it however she wanted. It was the first time in years that Emily and Kelley were together for Valentine’s Day and she planned on making it as special as possible. She had managed to sneak out of bed without waking Emily, who was an incredibly light sleeper so that in itself was a win. She pulled out all the waffle ingredients and got to work while Gracie continued to play with the fruit and eventually ate it all on her own. Kelley smiled as her little girl giggled, a few tiny strawberry seeds stuck to her lip. Kelley had out two bowls, one much smaller than the other. She dumped a bit of extra flour, an egg, and a little water into the smaller bowl. 

“Do you want to stir?” Gracie nodded and her mother handed her her own bowl and a tiny whisk. Gracie tried her best to copy Kelley’s movements. She stuck her little tongue out, between her teeth, just like Emily did when she was concentrating on something. So many of her little girl’s mannerisms came from Emily, it was like having a mini-me around all the time. Whenever Kelley was feeling particularly lonely without her wife, looking down at her daughter’s straw-colored hair and her grey-blue eyes always brought a smile to her face. Gracie loved dance parties, and Emily had gotten her hooked on Waffle House, meaning Kelley was always outvoted on their special Sunday breakfasts after church. 

“Can we make Mommy’s breakfast pretty?” Her voice pulled Kelley out of her thoughts. 

“Sure, baby. What do you want to do them?” 

“Rainbows!” She squealed and then clapped her hands over her mouth, momentarily forgetting to stay quiet. 

“Hmmm... I think I have an idea.” Kelley searched the cabinets looking for her special ingredient. She pulled out a small container of sprinkles. “Should we make them fun-fetti?” She shook the container and Gracie giggled. 

Kelley poured some of the sprinkles into her batter and a small handful into Gracie’s before starting up the waffle maker, pressing a few until they were golden brown. Lastly, she took Gracie's and made a smaller one and put it on a separate plate for her to decorate. She poured a cup of coffee and set everything on the tray to take upstairs. 

“Gracie, do you want to get the presents?” The little girl raced to her secret hiding spot in the laundry room and came back with the card and necklace she had made. Kelley arranged them on the tray, along with her own gift for her wife, a gift card to the nursery down the street so she could pick out as many new plants as she wanted. “What do you think, peach? Is Mommy going to love it?” 

“She better! I worked hard!” Kelley was thankful she hadn’t picked the food up yet, because her burst of laughter would have definitely made her drop everything. “Come on, Bagel! Let’s go!” Gracie called to the dog, her best friend, who was moving a little slower now that she was getting up in age. The two took off up the stairs as Kelley followed closely behind. 

They hadn’t talked about _how_ they’d wake Emily up, but then Bagel jumped onto the bed and Gracie shouted as she ran into the room. “Happy Valen-times Day, Mommy!” 

Emily shot up out of bed at the sudden noise, sliding back down into the sheets when she saw the source. She pulled Gracie into bed with her, snuggling her close. Kelley stepped forward, setting the tray down on the bed so she could join her girls. She reached across to peck Emily’s lips. 

“Good morning! Happy Valentine’s Day, Em.” 

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Kel.” 

“Mommy! Look what we made!” Gracie did her best Vanna White impression, showing off the food they had made and her presents. 

“You did all this for me? How did you know waffles are my favorite?” Emily joked. 

“Because you tell us all the time, silly!” Gracie said, matter of fact, and Emily cuddled her close. 

Emily’s eyes travelled over the plate and spotted the mini waffle, covered in whipped cream and a strawberry on top. “Wow, this one looks amazing! Who made this one?” She smiled over at Kelley. 

“Me!” Gracie squealed. 

“It looks delicious! Will you help me eat it?” Emily asked before swiping her finger through the cream, spreading it on both Gracie and Kelley’s noses. 

The little family spent the rest of the morning in bed, opening presents and sharing breakfast. When the food was done, Kelley moved the tray to the floor and slid under the covers even more. “You know, Valentine’s Day might be my favorite holiday.” She smiled. 

“Why Mama?” Gracie asked, sleepily. 

“Yeah, why Mama?” Emily grinned sheepishly, her new macaroni necklace hanging proudly from her neck. She already knew why. 

“Well, it was on Valentine’s Day that I told Mommy how much I loved her.” Emily reached across to hold her wife’s hand as she started the story. 

*** 

Kelley hadn’t been able to visit Australia at New Year’s like she had hoped. She had to deal with the fact that she had been traded away from Sky Blue and was being sent out to the mountains of Utah. She loved New York and leaving was going to be really tough, but this move brought her closer to Emily, so it couldn’t be _that_ bad. 

Emily’s team had made it to the league championship, and she buzzed about it on their FaceTime calls. Kelley could see the way she lit up, finally feeling a little confident in herself and her playing. Now that she was settled in Utah, she had planned a trip down under, but she decided it would be a surprise for Emily. She had missed seeing her play in the semi-final, but some of Emily’s Australian teammates had helped Kelley with flights and getting a car to pick her up from the airport. She had timed it right, arriving at Emily’s apartment just after she should have gotten home from practice. She pulled her suitcase out of the cab and rolled it up to the door. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door. 

There was no answer at first and Kelley immediately started to regret her decision. It was moving too fast; she shouldn’t be here. Sure, it’s her girlfriend, but they hadn’t seen each other in months. Maybe she had plans after her training. Kelley hadn’t been in contact with her all day, worried she might accidentally slip up and ruin the surprise. Finally, she heard rustling from the other side of the door. 

“Coming!” She heard Emily’s muffled voice and it made her melt. It had been so long since Kelley had heard that voice without the tin of the phone connection over it. Plus, because of the time difference, usually one of them was either just waking up or halfway to falling asleep when they called each other. 

Emily opened the door, hair mussed and imprints of a pillow on her face, Kelley had woken her from a nap. She stared for a long minute, seemingly unsure if what she was seeing was real, or if she was still dreaming. 

“Kelley? What are you doing here?” Her voice was scratchy with sleep and Kelley melted all over again. 

“Surprise!” Kelley barely got the word out before Emily barrel hugged her, pressing her nose into Kelley’s neck. 

“You’re here. You’re really here. You are really here, right? I’m not dreaming?” 

“I’m really here, Em.” Kelley pulled back, cupping Emily’s cheeks, and pressed their lips together. 

For the next few days, in between her trainings, Emily took Kelley all around Sydney, giving her the grand tour. They visited all her favorite food spots and even spent a day at the beach. Soon enough, it was time for the Grand Final against Melbourne. Emily had gotten Kelley a special seat in one of the boxes. The game didn’t go the way she wanted, but Emily felt like she played as best as she could for her team. Having this experience in Sydney was definitely going to benefit her play when she got back to America. She had told Kelley as much the night before, laying next her in bed. 

Kelley hated to lose. Maybe it was because it happened so often with her club team, but she never handled it well. Just like in everything else, Emily’s graciousness baffled her. Seeing her smiling after losing such a big game was something Kelley didn’t think she could ever do, but it was so quintessentially _Emily._ The way she always saw the positives and made everyone around her happier, no matter what the situation. The way she made Kelley, who so many in the past called high strung, feel settled and calm. The way she made Kelley feel _loved._

She had figured it out the moment Emily opened the door a few days ago. She had been fairly certain for a while now, but seeing her after so many months, she knew. Now she just needed the perfect time to tell her. 

After the game and all of the craziness that followed with reporters and final team meetings. Emily found Kelley waiting just outside the stadium, scrolling through her phone. 

“Hi.” Emily tried to keep her voice light, kissing the crown of Kelley’s head. She was sad about the game, but not sad enough to mope about it. “What are you up too?” She leaned against Kelley, trying to look over her shoulder. 

“Trying to find the best picture they took of you so I can show off my super cute girlfriend.” She grinned. 

“How about we take one together instead?” 

Kelley turned her phone to take a selfie of the two of them. Just as she was about to press the button, Kelley leaned in and kissed Emily’s cheek. Emily couldn’t help the way she giggled, her smile candid and wide, making her eyes crinkle, just what Kelley wanted. It was in that moment, she realized it didn’t need to be a special occasion or in a specific place. She looked at the photo and then at Emily. 

“I love it. Gosh, I love you so much, Em.” 

Emily whipped her head around, nearly giving herself a neck strain. “You what?” 

Kelley smiled widely. “I love you, Emily Ann Sonnett. Did you think I’d fly to the other side of the world to see you if I didn’t?” 

“I don’t know, you could have had a lot of frequent flyer miles.” 

She wrapped Emily in a tight hug, taking in the smell of her shampoo. “I mean the beaches here are nice, but it’s nothing without someone to share it with.” 

“You mean no one to laugh at you when you eat it on the surfboard.” Emily joked, causing Kelley to step back and smack her lightly on the arm. 

“Excuse you, I did not ‘eat it’. Thank you very much.” 

Emily gave her a thumbs up. “Sure. Whatever you say, Kelley.” 

Kelley tried her best not to make a big deal about Emily not saying it back, but it did make her feel a little sad. Maybe she just needed some time to process. Kelley was always impulsive, always going a million miles an hour. _It’s better to beg forgiveness than ask permission_ was kind of like her life motto. Emily was the exact opposite, always spending too much time considering all possibilities and outcomes before deciding. She took Kelley’s hand and walked them to the park across the street. There were still a few fans milling around, but it was really nice to feel like it was just the two of them. 

“You know, Salt Lake isn’t really that far away from Portland. Definitely closer than New York, that’s for sure. Maybe we can start tagging along with Tobin and Christen. Maybe then they’ll realize they aren’t as subtle as they think.” Emily smiled and Kelley looked up at her. Emily was only a few inches taller, but in moments like these, that size felt like a protective barrier Emily cast over them. 

“Really? You mean it?” 

“Well, I hope we’re not as nauseating as those two are. But yeah, Kel, I mean it. Once the schedule comes out, we can start planning.” She squeezed Kelley’s hand as she turned them off the sidewalk and into the grass, leading them to the base of a tall tree. Emily sat, resting against the trunk, pulling Kelley down to sit with her. “I love you too, Kelley Maureen O’Hara, in case that wasn’t clear.” 

Kelley smiled broadly, resting against her girlfriend's chest. “I don’t know, we might be able to give them a run for their money. First time saying I love you on Valentine’s Day? Pretty nauseating.” 

“It’s not...” 

“In America, it’s still Valentine’s Day. My new favorite holiday!” Emily groaned, burying her face in Kelley’s hair. 

“I hate you.” 

_@kelleyohara: you’re the real wonder down under_

_@emilysonnett:_ _major_ _cheese_

*** 

“I want to go to Australia! They have koala bears!” Gracie piped up at the end of the story. Kelley smiled, looking at her daughter curled up in between them. 

“What? They do?! I lived there for months and nobody told me!” Emily said with mock indignation and Kelley laughed. 

Eventually, Gracie climbed out of bed and sat on the floor to play tug with Bagel. Emily reached under the bed and pulled out a small box before sliding into Kelley’s side, pressing a kiss to her lips. 

“Happy Valentine’s Day, babe.” Kelley slowly opened the box, revealing a gold necklace with a beautiful opal pendant. “I read that the indigenous peoples in Australia have a legend that opals are created when a rainbow touches the earth. Seemed too perfect for me to pass up.” She reached to fit the clasp around Kelley’s neck, centering it on her chest. 

“I really love you, Em.” 

“Good, because this was _not_ cheap!” Kelley smacked her. “I love you too.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fluff continues! I hope you guys liked it! Comment to let me know your favorite parts/lines! Have a wonderful week!


	6. Sick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I think I'm dying!"

Emily was pulled out of a dead sleep when she felt a tug on her comforter. Her daughter stood there, her own blanket clutched to her chest, her eyes watery with tears. 

“Gracie? What’s the matter, honey?” Emily sat up and swung her legs out of bed. 

“I don’t feel good.” 

Emily held the back of her hand up to Gracie’s tiny forehead, which was very warm. She reached across the bed and gently nudged Kelley, trying to wake her up. Her wife snapped up, obviously confused. 

“What? What’s wrong? What happened?” 

“I think someone has a fever.” 

Kelley climbed out of bed and into their bathroom, coming back with the thermometer. After looking at it, she winced a little. Kelley was always the more cautious parent. It came with the territory of being the only one around a lot of the time, which made her wife feel exceptionally guilty sometimes. Emily could tell she was weighing whether or not an emergency room trip was necessary or if they should wait until the morning. She made eye contact with her wife and Emily shook her head. _Give it time,_ she mouthed across the room. 

“Grace, do you want to come lay with me and Mama? Maybe that might make you feel a little better.” Emily didn’t wait to pick her little girl up and pull her into bed. Kelley had gone back into the bathroom, searching for the bottle of Children’s Tylenol she had bought last week. She came back armed with the medicine, a heating pad, and a piece of chocolate from her not-so-secret hidden stash in the linen closet. Whenever she felt like Kelley needed a pick me up, Emily would restock the little basket of goodies. They never talked about it, it just happened. 

Gracie took the medicine and curled into Kelley’s side as she slid back into the bed, her “lovey” over both her and Emily. Lovey was an old baby blanket that Emily’s mother had made when Gracie was born. It had her name stitched in the corner and her daughter still slept with it every night. She whimpered just a little, but no tears ever came out. Kelley nor Emily knew how it happened, but they had raised a very strong, independent little girl. Rose liked to say that Gracie took after her, her favorite aunt. Lindsey said that the couple didn’t give themselves enough credit, that Gracie had been surrounded by strong women since the day she born. 

Emily ran her hand through her little girl’s hair. “Being sick is no fun, huh? You’re a trooper.” 

“Yeah, way better than Mommy when she gets sick.” Kelley grinned. 

“Hey!” 

“Em, do you _not_ remember getting the flu when we first lived together?” Kelley laughed loudly, bringing a small smile to Gracie’s face. 

“I was kind of hoping you’d forgotten.” Emily burrowed under the sheets. 

*** 

When Emily woke up that morning, she was clutching the comforter close to her body, shivering. Her head pounded and her throat felt like sandpaper. She tried to call out to Kelley, who was almost always awake before Emily. She got no answer, but saw a note written in her girlfriend’s scrawl left on the bedside table. 

_Good morning sunshine! Gone for a run, be home soon. Love you_ _! -K_

Emily tried to muster the strength to get out of bed, even if just to grab a box of tissues and climb back under the covers. Standing up, she immediately felt a rush of nausea and she raced to the bathroom, just barely making it to the toilet. She hung her head, resting it ever so lightly against her hands. 

She heard the door to the apartment close and Kelley’s sing-song voice cut through the silence. “Em? Please tell me you’re awake by now. It’s a gorgeous day outside, let’s go out for lunch!” 

All Emily could manage was a loud groan just before the contents of her stomach emptied again. Kelley rushed in, crushed to see her girlfriend in so much pain. 

“Oh, sweetheart!” She sat down on the edge of the bathtub behind Emily, tying up her sweaty hair and rubbing her back softly. “It’s going to be okay, Em. We’re going to get you better.” 

Emily wasn’t sure how they’d escaped it this long. How she and Kelley had been together over a year now and neither one of them had gotten sick around the other. She was self-conscious, not wanting Kelley to see her this vulnerable, this weak. But Kelley didn’t seem to notice, instead she just reached up to the counter, dampening a hand towel to wipe Emily’s mouth. It was so minuscule, so domestic, but Emily didn’t think she’d ever felt so loved as she did in that moment. 

Sometime later, she felt strong enough to move back to the bed. Kelley helped her up and all but carried her, letting her down gently, covering her back up. Emily whined when she disappeared back into the bathroom, even though she was only gone for about thirty seconds. Kelley came back armed with the thermometer, a pill pack, a box of tissues, a bottle of water, and a jar of what looked like a homemade version of Vick’s vapor rub. _Who keeps bottled water in the bathroom?_ Emily thought to herself. She scrunched her nose at the smell of the concoction in the mason jar. 

“Oh stop, I made it myself. It's vegan.” 

“Of course, it is.” Emily croaked out. 

“Do you want my help or not?” Kelley asked pointedly, but the corners of her mouth ticked up just a little bit into her signature smirk. Emily just pouted as Kelley helped her out of her sweaty sleep shirt. 

“Cold!” Emily whimpered, shivering. 

“Honey, you’ve got a fever. I’ll get you a sweater in a minute.” She let Kelley rub the gross-looking gel on her chest, hoping it would immediately open her sinuses, but no such luck. “Hold out your hands.” 

Emily did as she was told, and Kelley forced the water bottle into one hand and the pills into another. “I hate swallowing pills!” Emily whined. “Don’t you have the liquid stuff?” 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize I was dating an eight-year-old.” 

“Hey! You can’t be mean to me, I’m sick!” 

“Take the pills, Em. They’ll help you feel better. I’m going to go get you a fresh shirt, those better be swallowed by the time I get back.” Kelley flounced off to the laundry room. Emily forced herself to swallow the pills, downing almost half the bottle of water afterwards. The cool liquid seemed to soothe her throat for just a moment. About five minutes later, Kelley popped back into the room, holding an old, ratty looking Stanford crewneck. 

“That’s your sweatshirt, your favorite one.” Emily said, cocking her head to the side. “You never let me wear it.” 

“Well, I thought maybe it had some magic in it for you. But I can go back and get yours.” Kelley made to go back to the laundry. 

“No!” Emily gestured greedily for the sweater. Kelley eased it over her head, the warmth engulfing her. 

“I stuck it in the dryer for a few minutes, thought that might be nice.” 

“I love you.” Emily sighed and Kelley pressed her lips to her forehead. 

“I love you too, sicky.” Emily nodded, pressing her head back against the pillows. “I’m going to run to the store to grab you some things, okay?” 

Emily immediately grabbed her girlfriend’s hand and whined loudly in between coughs. “No, you can’t leave me! Kelley, I think I’m dying.” 

Kelley couldn’t help but snort. “Enough with the dramatics! Just close your eyes and try to rest. I’ll be back before you know it.” She wrenched her hands free and left one more kiss to Emily’s forehead before slipping out of the bedroom. 

It took a while for Emily to fall back asleep. Her body ached and her stomach rumbled dangerously. She looked around the room, taking it all in. She had only come to stay with Kelley about a week ago, after finishing the season in Portland. They had decided that once the off-season began, they were going to test out living together. After being apart almost all of the previous off season, the two wanted to spend as much time together as possible. Emily had her own condo near her parent’s home, but Kelley lived right in the middle of downtown Atlanta and that just seemed like more fun, like they’d have more things to do. Emily had _not_ envisioned being huddled under a pile of her girlfriend’s blankets, trying not to puke. 

The apartment was still very much Kelley’s, but Emily had plans to add a few of her own touches. Kelley loved cool colors like blues and grey, big, cozy furniture, and having a candle burning at all times. Emily, however, loved warm colors like reds and orange, and clean lines. She joked that they sounded like a couple on _House Hunters_ _,_ the way they both wanted completely different things. 

There was one thing that caught her eye as she looked around the room. On top of Kelley’s dresser was a framed photo of the two of them. The same photo they had taken together after the final in Sydney, the day they first said they loved each other. Thinking about how happy she felt that day, even after losing such a big game, Emily drifted off into sleep. 

Suddenly, Emily felt herself being slightly nudged. “Em? Em, you need some more meds.” Emily groaned loudly, trying to turn her body away. 

“No, leave me alone! I’m tired.” She complained. 

“I know you’re tired, sweets. You need to take some more medicine though, it’ll help. Plus, I brought you some treats.” Emily turned back abruptly, and Kelley laughed. “I knew that would get your attention!” 

“What did you bring me?” 

“Medicine first.” Kelley tutted and Emily rolled her eyes. “I even got you the liquid kind, so I don’t have to listen to you whine again.” She said it like she was annoyed but Emily knew it was all out of love, doing whatever she could to make Emily feel comfortable. She stuck her tongue out before taking the little cup and tossing back the meds. 

“What did you bring me?” Emily repeated. 

Kelley grabbed the canvas shopping bag from the floor and pulled out its contents one by one. “Well, first we have some chicken noodle soup that I’m going to make for you in a little while, some crackers if your stomach is still upset...” 

“You said treats! These are not treats!” Emily wailed. 

Taking a deep breath, Kelley rested her hand on top of Emily’s. “You didn’t let me finish, cranky pants. Look, I got you a little ice cream, and no, before you complain again, it’s not vegan.” She held up the pint of vanilla from the tiny store on the corner. “A little ginger ale, which always makes me feel better when I’m sick. File that information away for when I catch this bug.” She chuckled and Emily sunk down into the bed. 

“I’m sorry, Kel. Sorry that you have to take care of me, that you might get sick too.” Emily hid her face behind her hands. She felt Kelley pull them down and thread their fingers together. 

“Em, you never have to apologize. I like being the one that gets to take of you, even if you’re the worst sick person I’ve ever met. I love you; this is what you do for the people you love.” 

“I’d kiss you right now, but germs...” Kelley just pressed her lips to the back of Emily’s hand. “Now, back to the presents!” 

Kelley rolled her eyes and dug back into the bag. “Next we have a jumbo bag of Swedish Fish! I’m going to put them in the fridge, just the way you like. And lastly...” She made a performance out of pulling out the last item. “Now, you can’t actually have this until you can keep food down, okay?” Once Emily nodded, Kelley pulled out a bag of Waffle House mix and two containers, one with chocolate chips and the other with peanut butter chips. “Now I know it’s not the real experience, but if you want, you can pick a fight with me while I’m trying to cook.” 

Emily snorted. “That sounds wonderful. Thank you, Kelley.” 

A few hours later, after basically force-feeding Emily the soup, Kelley climbed into the bed next to her. She pulled Emily into her, resting her head on Kelley’s chest. Feeling her run her fingers through her hair started to lull Emily back to sleep. The TV was on in the background, but she only knew that because Kelley snickered at something every so often. As her eyelids became heavy, Emily thought about just how wonderful her life was in this moment. 

“I love you.” She whispered, feeling Kelley lean down and press a kiss to her scalp. 

“Love you too, sicky.” 

*** 

Gracie snored softly between her two moms; her stuffy nose meant she was breathing heavily through her mouth, while Bagel was curled up at the foot of the bed. Kelley reached her hand over and linked it with Emily’s, rubbing the back of it with her thumb. 

“You really are the worst at being sick.” She giggled quietly. 

“You are the most dramatic person about literally everything else, let me have this one!” Emily groaned. 

Kelley leaned in and kissed her wife gently. “Fine, just this once.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The world is a heavy place and I hope I can provide a little light sometimes. Hope you enjoyed! Drop a comment to let me know your favorite parts.


	7. Gold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You’re sober right now?"

_2027_ _World Cup_

There were bits of confetti flying around everywhere, the crowd so loud it was deafening. Kelley sat in the “Family and Friends” section of the stands, Gracie squirming in her lap. The teams had walked out onto the field for the line-up announcements and the national anthems. First came the Swedes, the home team, the favorites, an old rival. The stadium was a sea of yellow and navy, clashing distinctly with the crowds of fans in red, white, and royal blue. 

A moment later, the US team made its way into the sunlight. In front, leading her team and wearing the captain’s armband, was Emily. She had her brows furrowed, Kelley could tell she was trying not to smile, trying to look intimidating (it didn’t work). She stepped forward to shake hands with the refs, making a joke that got the Swedish captain laughing. 

“Look, there’s Mommy!” Kelley pointed towards her wife, and Gracie squealed excitedly. Her thin, blonde hair pushed away from her face with a striped headband, temporary tattoos on each cheek, and her little “Sonnett #5” jersey matched the one Kelley wore. When Kelley retired, she knew there was no one else that could wear that number, at least for now. 

The game was underway, and Kelley lifted Gracie to her shoulders. Both sets of grandparents stood on either side of them, decked out in USA gear. Gracie watched the game with rapt attention, taking in every move. Before they left for Sweden, their little girl had had her very first soccer practice. Well, if you call a bunch of kids wandering around a little grass field and kicking mini balls at each other a _practice_. But watching her daughter run around with a ball at her feet, how she wasn’t afraid to steal it away from the other kids, made Kelley melt. Gracie even scored her first “goal” that day and Kelley picked her up and spun her around. She videotaped it and sent it to Emily at camp, who proceeded to share it with everyone on the team, players and staff. She even got the team’s social media person post it everywhere. 

_@uswnt: Watch out_ _world_ _, there’s another star_ _play_ _er in the house!_ _Look at Gracie O’Hara, already a_ _scoring machine!_ _(Credit: her moms)_

_@roselavelle: she gets it from me_

_@alexmorgan13:_ _Charlie_ _+_ _Gracie_ _= dream team_

_@lindseyhoran10: my little meep_

Just before halftime, Emily sent a cross into the box and Lindsey got her head on it, firing it into the back of the net. Last year’s Ballon d’Or winner raced to Emily, jumping into her arms. The crowd erupted in cheers but were silenced when Sweden snuck one past the American goalie to tie it in stoppage time. 

In the second half, it got a little chippie. Emily earned a yellow card for a tackle near the end line, but the free kick soared over the crossbar. Then she was taken down herself in the middle of the field. When she didn’t immediately pop up, Kelley had a flashback to 2019, to her own concussion. She squeezed Gracie’s little sneakers, trying to ground herself. A few moments later, Emily stood up, walking with a slight limp. She found and locked eyes with Kelley, sending her a thumbs up signal. From above her, Kelley felt her daughter pat her on the head. “Don’t worry, Mommy is strong.” 

“Yes, she is.” 

In the 86’, Lindsey sent a dime of a pass right to Rose’s feet in the six-yard-box, needing just a tap in. In typical Rose fashion, she slotted the ball right through the goalie’s legs and the stadium went wild. 

When the final whistle blew, Kelley let out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding in. After missing the final in 2023, losing to Australia, the eventual champions, in the semi-final, the US had clawed their way back. And Emily had been at the helm, been the steadying force in the back that her team needed. She was to this generation of players what Becky had been to her. She hated the comparison; it always made her blush. It was true though, Kelley knew it. Soon enough, the team huddle broke apart and went separate ways. Some took off toward the supporters’ section, others found each other on the field, and some made their way to family. 

Emily came barreling over to her tiny family, climbing the rungs of the bleachers and boosting herself over the railing. She immediately wrapped her wife in a searing kiss, stepping away only to pull Gracie down and hug her tight. 

“You did it, babe!” Kelley exclaimed. “I’m so proud of you!” 

“I think I had a little luck in the stands today.” She gave Gracie an eskimo kiss. “Baby, do you want to go down and see Aunt Rose and Aunt Lindsey?” 

Kelley held her little girl while Emily climbed back down onto the field. Once she was down on solid ground, Kelley handed Gracie off to go see her favorite ladies. Kelley just leaned against the railing, thinking about the last time they had a moment like this. 2019, Emily’s first gold medal. 

*** 

Kelley didn’t remember the actual hit, but she remembered being on the ground afterwards. It felt like her head was being split open, the pain was excruciating. The trainers surrounded her, asking her all kinds of stupid questions like “do you know where you are?” or “what is today’s date”. She wasn’t dumb, she just had a headache. After a few minutes, the trainers helped her to her feet. 

“Miss, you have to go off the field and sub back on.” The referee said. 

“It was just my head; I don’t have to go off.” 

She argued with the ref before being forced to step back on the other side of the touch line. She had to get back on the field as quick as possible. Did they not realize this was the World Cup final? When she finally ran back onto the field, she felt a little woozy, but she was determined to get to halftime without any incident. The score stayed 0-0, but the confidence was high going into the locker room. 

Kelley, on the other hand, could barely see straight. There was a searing pain in her head and her feet felt like lead as she tried to lift one after the other down the hall. 

“Kel, are you okay?” She felt an arm wrap around her waist, and she crumpled into it. That arm was now supporting just about all her weight. “Kelley! Can you hear me?” She knew it was Emily’s voice and she _could_ hear her, but Kelley’s brain couldn’t make her lips move, it was too busy fighting to keep her eyes open. She heard Emily call for one of the trainers and felt herself being lowered to the ground. Suddenly, Emily was kneeling in front of her. “Kel, Kelley, you have to keep your eyes open, okay?” 

“It’s... it’s so hard.” 

“I know, babe, but you have to try. Can you do that for me? Here, look at me.” 

Kelley looked up at her girlfriend, whose eyes were wide. Wide enough to see the flecks of grey in her deep, blue eyes. “Hey, you’re pretty! Has anyone told you how pretty you are?” 

Emily had to bite back a smile. “Yes, you did this morning.” 

“I did?” 

The trainer came running down the hall, sitting down next to Kelley. She heard the woman shoo Emily away, that she was needed in the locker room. 

“NO! No, don’t leave me!” Kelley latched onto Emily’s arm. 

“I’ll just be right down the hall, Kel. You’re in good hands now.” Emily wrenched her arm free of her girlfriend’s grasp. Kelley tried her best not to cry but she wasn’t totally sure if it was working. The trainer helped her to her feet, walking alongside her to give some support. They bypassed the locker room and went straight into the training room, where the team doctor and the other trainers were waiting. They let her lay down on the table while they examined her, the lights blinding her a little. She had to answer more stupid questions and follow someone’s finger with her eyes. The world was starting to come back into focus after she was given a pain killer. 

“Doc, the second half is about to start. I have to get out there.” 

“Kelley.” The doctor said. “We’re pretty sure you have a concussion. You’re done for today.” 

“What?! No, I can’t... my team needs me! You don’t understand!” 

A moment later, Dawn came into the room and talked with the trainers. She nodded her head a lot and sent a text on her phone. “Hey, Kel? Do you want to come back out to watch the game with us?” 

“Watch? Dawn I have to be out there!” 

“Put some trust in your teammates. You’re always there for them, let them do this for you.” She held out her hand so Kelley would follow her. They walked through the stadium’s winding tunnels until they were back on the field. Dawn led her to the bench, where her teammates smiled and welcomed her into a seat. She found a spot next to Ashlyn but scanned the seats for one person in particular. 

“She’s out there.” Ashlyn said, pointing toward the field. 

Sure enough, her eyes landed on a blonde bun on the right side of the field. As if she could read Kelley’s mind, Emily turned to her and smiled, giving a double thumbs up, which made Kelley giggle. She returned the thumbs up and settled into her seat. She had to shield her eyes from the sun as the game picked up again, wondering why of all games, the final has to be played in the middle of the day. They couldn’t have waited for, like, mid-afternoon when the sun wouldn’t be baking them? 

Emily played like a woman possessed. She streaked up and down the right flank for the entire half. Kelley couldn’t help noticing just how good confidence looked on her girlfriend. Shouting out directions, shutting down the Dutch players and sending beautiful crosses into the box. It wasn’t her fault no one was able to connect on them. 

After Pinoe scored the penalty shot, Kelley knew they had this game in the bag. And then when Rose fired the ball into the goal, it was like the icing on the cake. Emily had the ball at her feet when the whistle blew, picking it up and chucking into the stands for the US fans before sprinting toward the rest of the team, toward Kelley. 

She would have to be reminded with a video later, but Kelley ran to Emily and launched herself into her girlfriend’s arms. She wrapped her legs around Emily’s torso and leaned in, kissing her in front of the thousands of cameras on the sidelines. They had never talked about wanting the world to know, but Kelley wasn’t sure she could have held back her love in that moment. Emily’s arms were around her back, pressing them as close as she could. They were lost in their own world until Rose came running by. 

“No one wants to see that!” She yelled and smacked the back of Emily’s head. 

She lowered Kelley back to the ground, running her hand along Kelley’s cheek. “How are you feeling?” 

“Fit as a fiddle.” She lied before running off to join the rest of the team in their celebrations. 

The rest of the night was a blur to Kelley. Thank God for her teammates who felt the need to record her every move, otherwise she may as well have not been there at all. She did remember the after party and watching Emily dance on the bar with Sam and Rose. She remembered the way Emily cocooned around her on the bus ride back to the hotel. She did _not_ remember having to bribe/threaten Mal to get her out of the room, but apparently it happened. 

The next morning Kelley woke up with a throbbing headache that could have very well been from her hangover instead of her concussion. Emily was on the other side of the bed, face down in the pillow, her arm spread out across Kelley’s chest. They both still had their gold medals around their necks. 

“Em, wake up!” She gently nudged her bed mate until she woke up. 

“What the hell, Kelley it’s like 6am.” 

“You’re a world champion, baby!” She tugged lightly on the ribbon around Emily’s neck and smiled. “You did so well, Em.” 

“You know, you’re a world champion too.” 

“Been there, done that.” She jokingly dusted off her shoulders and Emily headbutted her shoulder. 

“And it definitely hasn’t changed you in the slightest.” This time she pressed a kiss into Kelley’s shoulder. “Can I go back to sleep now?” 

“I guess so.” 

“Hey, Kel?” Kelley hummed. “I love you. Even when you don’t follow concussion protocol.” 

“I live by my own rules.” Kelley tutted. “And I love you, my little world champion!” She rolled on her side and smothered Emily’s face with kisses. 

*** 

That night, family and friends of the players were invited to the after party, which was being held just down the street from the stadium. Kelley knew it would be a while before the team showed up, celebrations were surely happening. She led Gracie through the door and found a seat at the restaurant. She ordered a beer for herself (Emily shouldn’t have _all_ the fun) and Gracie got a plate of dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets and milk. By the time the team arrived, Gracie was asleep on Kelley’s lap. It had been a long day for her, plus she hadn’t really adjusted to the time change and neither had her nap schedule. Kelley heard the crowd as the players walked in as she sat back in her chair. She knew Emily would find her eventually. 

Eventually was not the right word, immediately worked better. She saw a blonde mop pushing through the crowd toward their table. 

“There they are.” Emily smiled and leaned down to kiss her wife. 

“You don’t even smell like beer.” 

“Well, I didn’t drink any.” Emily chuckled and Kelley’s eyes went wide. 

“You’re sober right now? Why? Don’t you do remember 2019?” 

“Do you?” Emily said pointedly. 

Kelley offered up her own beer and Emily turned it down. They sat there for a while, just taking in the sights, laughing at the others who were getting egregiously drunk. 

Later, after they had left the bar and were back in their hotel room, Emily pulled a small white box out of her bag. “I stole these.” She grinned mischievously, opening to reveal chocolate covered strawberries. “If you ask if they’re vegan, I’m not sharing.” 

Kelley just reached in and took one of the snacks. “Just this once, since you’re a world champion.” 

“Been there, done that.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short and sweet. This one was really fun to write, so I hope you enjoyed it! Drop a comment to let me know what you thought and have a wonderful week!


	8. Hurt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You’ve got yourself a spicy one."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So far in this story I've avoided curse words because the idea is that they're telling these stories to their kid. But, it seemed out of character for this situation, so just assume you're getting the unedited version :)

Emily was weaving in and out of traffic, pushing the speed limit as best she could. The hospital was around the corner and she screeched to a halt in front of the building. Kelley’s call had been marred by the screams of their little girl in the background, so she hadn’t heard where exactly where to go. She was jogging down one hall when she heard it. 

“No, _you_ need to listen to _me_! I need to see my kid, she’s terrified! No, I don’t care about the damn forms, you idiot!” 

Emily followed those shrieks until her wife came into view. Kelley was standing nose-to-nose with an older, no-nonsense nurse, who was trying to hand her a clipboard. “Kelley!” She cried. 

“Em, thank god.” Kelley stepped away from the nurse, running to her wife. 

“Kel, what happened?” 

“I only took my eyes off her for a second, I swear.” Kelley was on the verge of tears. “She was running around on that space outside of the field. You know, near that patio? She tripped with her hands in her pocket and busted her chin open and I think she hit her head on the bricks. Em, there was so much blood.” She clawed at Emily's shirt; her face already tear-stained. 

“Where is she?” 

“I don’t know, this idiot nurse won’t let me see her! She won’t tell me anything! She just keeps asking me unimportant questions like what’s the number of my insurance policy?!” 

Emily took her hand and walked over to the nurse, who had a bemused look on her face. A look of someone who’s dealt with too many Kelleys in her tenure. 

“Hi there, what can you tell me about my daughter’s condition? Grace O’Hara.” 

“As I told her,” the nurse pointed at Kelley, “these forms need to be filled out.” 

“I’m not filling out any forms until I see my kid!” Kelley yelled, causing several people in the waiting room to turn their heads. 

“Ma’am, how about I handle these forms and you go find out what you can about our daughter.” Emily suggested. 

“It’s really part of procedure—” 

“Or... I can go find out for myself and _you_ can stay here and continue to discuss this with my wife.” Emily cut her off. 

The nurse’s eyes went wide, and she shoved the clipboard in Emily’s direction. “I’ll see what I can find out.” She huffed, disappearing down the hall. 

Kelley wrapped her arms tight around Emily, silently sobbing into her shirt. Emily rubbed her back soothingly. 

“It’s going to be okay, Kel. I promise.” 

“She's just a little girl, how can they let her be back there all by herself? Oh god, did they call Child Services?” She cried. 

“Kel, it was an accident, kids have accidents. I busted my chin when I was her age. It’s going to be okay, babe, I promise. But they’ll let us see her soon, I’m sure.” She pressed a kiss into Kelley’s hair. 

“How do you know?” She whimpered. 

“Because, if they don’t, I’ll let you loose on them. No one stands in Kelley O’Hara’s way.” 

It was about another 10 minutes before the nurse came back. She ushered them down the hallway and into a small room. Gracie was there, with a giant band-aid under her chin and a butterfly bandage on a cut right near her hairline. She looked extra tiny in the hospital bed, though she seemed to be in good spirits. 

“Oh, my baby!” Kelley cried, racing over to Gracie’s bedside, who smiled tiredly at her. 

“Hi, Mama!” She said as Kelley squeezed her. 

The doctor followed in behind them and started talking to Emily. “She’s got a nasty gash on the underside of her chin but other than that, she’s perfectly fine. You’ve got a tough cookie.” He smiled. 

“So, she’s okay? Her head, everything, it’s okay?” Kelley asked cautiously, stroking Gracie’s hair, and the doctor nodded. 

“She’ll be discharged in about 15 minutes. I suggest a long nap and maybe a little something sweet if your moms say it’s okay.” He smiled broadly at Gracie, who giggled. 

They left Kelley’s car at the hospital so she could sit in the back with their little girl. Gracie honestly didn’t seem too worse for the wear. In fact, she was talking on and on about all the cool things she saw in the hospital. Kelley, on the other hand, wouldn’t even let her gaze travel anywhere else. Emily looked at her from the rearview mirror, internally wincing at her wife’s guilt. 

Kelley carried Gracie up to her room while Emily fixed all three of them a little bowl of ice cream. When she came up the stairs, her two girls were snuggling together in the tiny twin bed. 

“Hey! What about me? I don’t see any room for me in there!” Emily whined. 

“You snooze, you lose partner!” Kelley chuckled. 

“Oh, that’s how it is?” Emily mocked. “Guess I’ll be keeping all this ice cream for myself!” She made like she was turning back out of the room. 

“Mommy, no! Come back, please!” 

Emily smiled as she turned back into the room. “Well, only because you said please.” She said, handing out the bowls before sitting down on the floor near Gracie’s head. 

“You were so brave today, baby.” Kelley cooed, leaving maybe her hundredth kiss on Gracie’s head. 

“You protected me, Mama! You took me to the doctor.” 

“Mama is really good at that.” Emily said gently, making direct eye contact with her wife. “She’s the best protector.” 

*** 

They all knew it was going to be a rough one, games against Canada always were. There was just this mutual hatred between the two teams, it had been there for longer than any of them had been on the team. So, when Alex got knocked off a ball just outside of 18 and nothing was called, it became clear this was going to be a dogfight. By the end of the first half, Sam had a bloody nose, Lindsey had bulldozed two defenders into the ground, and Abby had a (deserved) yellow card. But they were winning. Alex rocketed a low corner into the back of the net and Lindsey already had three shots on target. 

She came on in the second half for Abby, setting up next to Becky. Being up by only one goal wasn’t enough, they needed insurance. Christen’s shot ricocheted off the post and Emily collected it at her feet. Suddenly, she heard Kelley scream from behind her. 

“Incoming! Emily!” Before she had the chance to send it, all went black. 

All Emily could hear was ringing in her ears. All she could smell was grass and the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth. She rolled over, crying out in agony. She couldn't even pinpoint where it hurt the most. Her head felt like it was splitting open, her chest felt like it was caving in, and her ankle was on fire. The team medics surrounded her, checking her injuries and talking amongst each other. 

In the midst of her own cries, Emily heard a familiar voice from over top of her. 

“What the hell was that?! Are you kidding me, ref? She ran over her!” Kelley’s voice cut through the noise of the crowd. She was standing over Emily, gesturing wildly. 

“I got all ball!” The other player scoffed. 

“Are you fucking serious right now? Look at her!” Kelley screeched, taking a step. 

“You’re going to need to calm down unless you want a card.” The referee warned. 

“You’ll give me a card but not her? Oh, fuck y—” 

“Kel?” 

Emily’s voice was raspy and weak. She wasn’t sure Kelley heard her over all the noise, but soon enough, she felt a small hand resting on her shoulder. 

“I’m right here, Em, I’m right here.” Her voice had softened now that she was talking to her girlfriend. Emily started moving to get up, only to feel that hand on her shoulder press her back down. “Em, they have a stretcher coming, don’t try to move, babe.” 

“What happened?” Emily’s voice trembled. 

“That’s not important. They’re going to get you all patched up, okay?” All Emily could do was reach up and squeeze Kelley’s hand. “I’ll find you once the game is over.” 

The medical staff lifted Emily onto the stretcher and took her back to the locker room. They helped her onto the training table and began working on her. Tobin, who had been subbed off about five minutes before Emily got fouled, followed her in and sat at Emily's side. They started cleaning the large gash just beyond her hairline while Tobin fiddled with the TV on the wall. 

“What are you doing?” 

“Don’t you want to see the rest of the game?” 

Emily didn’t get a chance to answer. The medic started moving her ankle around, eliciting a sharp cry. Tobin returned to her side and gripped her hand. 

“Hey, hey, look.” She said softly, pointing in the direction of the TV. “Lindsey almost scored!” 

Training her eyes on the screen, Emily tried to distract herself from the pain. She saw the replay of her best friend’s shot and how it went just wide of the goal. The announcers were talking about how the United States just needed to close out the game when they suddenly turned their attention to something else that had happened on the other end of the field. 

_“Uh-oh! Looks like we got a situation down near the US goal. O’Hara goes for the tackle on the_ _end line_ _, doesn’t look like she even tr_ _ied_ _for the ball_ _!_ _Oh, and now she’s got some words for the Canadian._ _Someone’s obviously unhappy with how Sonnett was taken down a few moments_ _ago.”_

Emily watched in horror as Kelley slid into the Canadian player, studs up. She watched her girlfriend get into a screaming match, her face nose to nose with the other player. It’s not the first time Emily had thought _t_ _hank God for Alyssa Naeher_ , but never in a situation like this. Alyssa wrapped an arm around Kelley and pulled her away, kicking and screaming, before she could put hands on the other player. Emily wasn’t very good at reading lips, but she was pretty sure about the expletives. The referee held up a yellow card, but Kelley threw up her hands as if to say _who cares?_

“You’ve got yourself a spicy one, Son.” Tobin chuckled. 

There was only fifteen minutes left on the clock, but it was plenty of time for Kelley to tear up and down the field. No one was getting past her down the right side, and she sent it cross after cross, finally landing one directly on Lindsey’s head. Insurance. Emily saw the way Kelley was sure to run right past the player that fouled her, classic O’Hara smirk on full display. 

Thankfully, the game ended without any more dramatics. The United States had won, and all Emily wanted to do was go back to her bed. The head trainer had told her she had a broken rib and a high ankle sprain, meaning she would have to take a few weeks off. Emily was crushed, she couldn’t afford to miss weeks of training. While they were fitting her for a boot, she heard the distinct sound of cleats on linoleum. 

“Em!” Kelley cried, racing to her side. She gingerly hugged Emily, running her hand just above the bandaged cut on her face. “Are you, okay? I was so worried.” She made eye contact with Tobin, who was slipping out the door. Something passed between them, a silent _thank you_ _,_ before the lanky brunette left. 

“Well, hello there, Bruiser.” Emily joked, pressing their lips together. 

“Hey, she deserved it. Maybe she should be in the NFL if she wants to make tackles like that.” Kelley huffed and crossed her arms. 

“I appreciate you defending my honor, babe, but you could’ve gotten a red card. Honestly? You probably should have.” 

Kelley scoffed. “See if I ever stick up for you again. Next time I’ll just let you lay there and get hit.” 

Emily climbed off the table, wincing at the pain in her ribs, and hobbled over to wrap Kelley in a tighter hug. “I love you, Kel. You know, seeing you get all fiery like that, it was kind of hot.” 

Her girlfriend’s face flushed and raised her eyebrows. “Oh?” 

“Well, yeah. You, getting all protective? Very sexy.” Emily chuckled, immediately regretting it. The pain in her ribs caused her to double over, gripping her midsection. 

“Hey, come sit back down.” Kelley carefully helped her back onto the training table. “I’ll be right back, okay?” Emily nodded and Kelley kissed her forehead before stepping out of the room. About two minutes later, she returned. 

“Your chariot has arrived, m’lady!” She was pushing a wheelchair into the room, a giddy smile plastered across her face. 

“Kel... I don’t need that.” Emily whined. 

“I beg to differ. You’re not walking out of here, don’t even try to argue.” 

Emily huffed annoyingly as the head trainer and Kelley helped her into the wheelchair. Kelley rolled her to the car they would be taking back to the team hotel. “Since you can’t go up the steps on the bus.” She said, not taking no for an answer. 

Kelley had somehow managed to convince the coaching staff to let them room together, switching up the assignments. Alyssa gave Emily a glare when she found out that meant she was with Rose. _I save your girl from getting a straight red and this is how you repay me?_

She helped Emily rinse off in the shower and gently got her into her sweats for bed. Kelley eased her down onto the bed, forming a wall of pillows to keep her from being able to move much. Not that she was planning on thrashing around in her sleep, her ribs made any movement painful, even breathing. Once Emily was secured, Kelley ran around the room to grab the meds they’d given her and a bottle of water. 

“I know you hate pills but, trust me, you’re going to want these.” 

She swallowed the pain medication, making a face as she felt them slither down her throat. Kelley flipped off the lights and gently slid into bed next to Emily. 

“Kel?” The medicine was already kicking in and she felt herself drifting. “Thank you.” 

“For what?” Kelley stroked Emily’s hair, hoping it would help lull her to sleep. 

“Protecting me. You’re so strong.” 

Kelley chuckled. “Well, can’t let anyone mess up this beautiful face.” She pressed her lips to Emily’s forehead. 

“Love you, Bruiser.” Emily sighed, unable keep her eyes open any longer. 

“I love you too, sweet girl.” 

*** 

Emily could hear her daughter’s soft snores; the story and the Tylenol had knocked Gracie out. She got to her feet as quietly as she could, collecting the ice cream bowls. Kelley was still awake, fingers running through thin, blonde hair. 

“Kel, come on.” Emily stuck out her hand toward her wife. 

“I don’t want to leave her.” Her voice trembled. “It was all my fault; I wasn’t watching her.” Kelley couldn’t hide her tears. Emily pulled her gently out of the bed so she could wrap her wife in a tight hug. 

“Hey, she’s okay. Everything is okay.” 

Kelley buried her face in Emily’s chest. “I’m so sorry.” 

“You have nothing to be sorry about. Listen to me.” Emily cupped her cheeks, pulling Kelley to eye level. “You are the best mom in the entire world. Mother Teresa? She doesn’t hold a candle to my Kelley.” The comment had its desired effect, getting her wife to smile. “You’re our protector, okay? Gracie’s and mine. You would move heaven and earth for us, but sometimes accidents happen. This was not your fault.” 

At first, all Kelley could do was sniffle. “I love you.” She squeezed Emily tight around the middle. 

“Love you too, Bruiser.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did we think? Someone had asked me about doing something similar to this, so I hope it was good! Drop a comment to let me know what you thought! Have a wonderful week!


	9. Ring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Happy Tuesday, I guess.”

Kelley was in the middle of putting on mascara, her hand shaking, smearing a little of the dark brown make-up into her eyebrow. Today was her first day as head assistant coach for the Atlanta United Women’s team and she was really nervous. Playing soccer was something she knew she was good at, coaching though, maybe not so much. She knew she had earned the position, spending the last two years as a defensive assistant for the University of Georgia had given her the experience. And now that Emily was officially retired, she could start travelling again as part of her job. 

She worried about her girls though. Kelley had never spent more than a night away from her daughter at a time, and never alone. Usually her parents or Emily’s babysat Gracie when they needed a date night, but this was going to be different. This job required a lot of travel, which she had managed to negotiate out of while at UGA. She couldn’t really travel around the country with a small child every week. And she had just gotten Emily back full time. It had been so wonderful to wake up next to her wife without the thought of when she’d be gone again. It was fun to cook meals together, or to take walks around the neighborhood with Bagel and Gracie on her little bike, or sometimes just lay in bed and pig out on junk food while watching TV. Now, she’d be the one gone for periods of time. Her heart ached thinking about the things she might miss while being gone. She remembered how heartbroken Emily had been when she wasn’t there for Gracie’s first steps. 

Kelley wiped her brow and started to run a brush through her hair for the third time. Suddenly, arms wrapped around her from behind, startling her. 

“Whoa, who’s the hottie?” Emily smiled, pressing her lips into her wife’s hair. Kelley swatted her away. 

“I need finish getting ready.” 

“No, you _need_ to breathe. You’re going to do great, babe. Excuse me, _Coach O’Hara."_

The patter of little feet alongside the clicking of Bagel’s nails on the floor could be heard as they came down the hall. Kelley couldn’t help but burst out laughing as Gracie ran into the bathroom. She was wearing her own Atlanta United jersey with her name on the back, along with black, red, and gold ribbons in her hair. Bagel, on the other hand, seemed less than enthused about the bandana around her neck. 

“Wow, look! Your number one fans! You know, most coaches don’t have their own fans so you must be pretty good.” Emily winked at her. 

“Mommy said I can wear my jersey to school!” Gracie exclaimed and Kelley shot her wife a look. There was a reason Kelley was the one that dressed their little girl in the mornings before preschool. Emily didn’t really believe in “matching” or “dressing for the weather”. _There’s only one rule for fashion, Kel, and that’s that there are no rules!_

“Alright you two, Mama has to finish getting ready. I’ll be out in a few minutes. She shooed her wife and daughter out of the room before returning to the mirror. She picked up the brush again, this time accidentally knocking over the small porcelain dish on the side of the sink. Kelley didn’t react fast enough and saw her wedding rings washed down the drain. 

“Shit.” She shrieked. “Em? Emily!” 

Emily came running back into the room. “What? What happened? Are you hurt?” 

Kelley felt tears pricking behind her eyes. “My rings.” Was all she said, pointing toward the sink. 

“Hey, hey, it’s alright.” Emily ran her hands up and down Kelley’s arms. “You go do your thing at work and I’ll figure this out, okay?” 

“But...” 

“Babe, they’re just things. Don't worry, accidents happen.” Emily took Kelley’s bare hand and led her to the front door. 

“Gracie, can you come here please?” Emily called and their little girl came bounding into the foyer. “Say goodbye to Mama and wish her good luck.” 

Kelley picked her up and squeezed her tight. “You got this, Coach!” Gracie squealed, smacking a kiss to Kelley’s cheek and making both her moms laugh. 

“Thank you, baby. I’ll see you tonight, okay? I love you.” She cooed and then turned to look at her wife. “I love you too.” 

Emily stepped forward, taking Gracie and planting a kiss to the crown of Kelley’s head. “You heard the kid, now get going!” She smacked Kelley’s butt on her way out the door. 

The stadium wasn’t too far from their home and the drive was easy. The whole way there, Kelley couldn’t help but stare at her bare left hand, the clear tan line on her fourth finger showcasing the missing diamond ring. As she turned out of their neighborhood, the memory of the first time she saw that ring washed over her. 

*** 

When the fanfare of the World Cup finally started to wind down, Kelley and Emily finally had to go back to their clubs. There were national team games sprinkled in every so often where they could spend a little time together. At least, that was until Kelley’s ankle screwed it all up, again. She twisted it when another player stepped on her, fighting to keep a ball in bounds. Emily gave her a look that was equal parts concern and sympathy when she took Kelley’s place on the field. 

The pain was nearly unbearable. The national team physicians were consulting with the team doctor in Utah about how to move forward. The only good thing was they all agreed surgery wasn’t necessary. 

Christen was there when she got the news. Done, for the rest of the season. More likely, for the rest of the year. Tobin sat at the breakfast bar while a distraught Kelley was consoled. 

“What am I supposed to do now? Just go home? I can’t even train for, like, a month!” 

“Have you talked to Sonny about it?” 

Kelley shook her head. They had to go their separate ways after that game, so Emily hadn't been there when Kelley went to the doctor. She hadn’t told Emily how bad it was, and she wasn’t even really sure why. Maybe it was because she knew Emily would tell her it was okay to be mad, that it was okay to be sad. Kelley hated not having control. Control of her surroundings or of herself and her emotions. She hated the way her injury had turned her into a blubbering mess. 

“Why don’t you go stay with her instead of back home?” Tobin piped up in the background, causing both Kelley and Christen to whip their heads around, having forgotten she was even there. “What? Kel, fly back to Portland with me. Surprise her. It’s not like you guys haven’t lived together before.” 

And so, that’s what she did. Tobin dropped her off at the door to the apartment complex and Kelley had confirmed with Lindsey that Emily was, in fact, home. She used her boot to tap on the door, resting against her crutches. When the door swung open, Kelley’s heart swelled just at the sight of her. She was wearing her favorite pair of black sweats and an old sorority shirt of Kelley’s she had accidentally packed for herself years ago. It was a soft blue, making her messy blonde hair look white. 

“Kel? What happened?” Emily asked frantically. “Last time we talked you told me it wasn’t that bad!” She took Kelley’s bag and ushered her inside the apartment. 

“I- I didn’t want you to worry.” 

“I worry about you all the time.” There was a hint of a smirk on Emily’s lips. 

“Hey!” 

Emily guided her crippled girlfriend to the couch, propping her foot up on a pile of pillows, begging her to sit still and rest. Kelley just wanted to hold her hand, to keep Emily as close to her as she could. Just being in her presence made Kelley feel infinitely better than she had in Utah. 

“I'm done for the rest of the year.” She whimpered. Emily didn’t say anything, she just hugged Kelley tight, pressing a kiss to her forehead. 

That night, after helping her out of the boot and into bed, Emily crawled into the bed, pulling Kelley into her. 

“You know you can tell me anything, right? I want you to.” Kelley just hummed; her nose tucked into Emily’s neck, to the spot that she swore was fit just for her, as they fell asleep. 

For the next few days, Emily doted on Kelley’s every whim. She cooked breakfast in the morning, always something vegan-ish just for Kelley. She spoke with the trainers for the Thorns and they were willing to help monitor Kelley’s recovery and got permission for her to come to trainings. Emily didn’t want her to sit alone at the apartment all day every day, so they set her up in her own little lounge. 

Kelley had nearly forgotten how wonderful living with Emily was. How happy she felt being around her, how safe. Even this stupid injury wasn’t bothering her nearly as much now that she was with Emily. 

One night, about two weeks later, Emily convinced Kelley to get dressed up for a fancy dinner and a “night on the town” as she called it. She said they needed to celebrate Kelley being off crutches finally. 

“Just because I can’t spin you around the dance floor yet doesn’t mean we can’t go out and have a little fun!” She said, smiling as she opened Kelley’s door. 

They ate a restaurant that was probably too fancy for either of them, but they did have a wonderful time. Well, until dessert that is. Suddenly, across the dining room there was some kind of commotion. It seemed like someone had just accepted a proposal. Kelley could see the small, bottle-blonde woman waving her left hand around for all to see. 

_“He put it in the champagne! How romantic!”_ The woman squealed and Kelley rolled her eyes. 

“How cliché!” She snorted before turning back to Emily, who had gone redder than Kelley’s wine. “Oh God, Em... did you...?” Kelley panicked, watching her wave off a waiter walking toward their table with two flutes of champagne. 

Kelley reached across and took Emily’s hand. “Em, I’m sorry! It’s not cliché, I swear!” 

Emily just smiled softly. “Kel, it’s okay. Just have to find another way to surprise you.” 

A week later, after Kelley had given up searching for the ring when Emily wasn’t home, she resigned herself to waiting until Emily was ready again. Kelley _hated_ waiting. She was going to say yes, no matter what, so why couldn’t Emily just ask her? She had probably started getting on Emily's nerves with how much she asked about it. When they were making dinner, “ _just ask me already!”_ or when they were getting ready for bed, _“come on, as_ _k me!”_. But all Emily would do was smile at her, and Kelley responded with a huff and an eye roll. She sat on the couch, thumbing through a wedding dress Instagram account when Lindsey’s number popped up on her screen. 

“Hey, Linds, what’s up?” She asked. 

“Kelley! You have to get here quick! It’s Sonny!” 

She shot up of the couch, momentarily dropping her phone as she searched for the car keys. Emily had left her the car and caught a ride to practice that day. Kelley had wanted to go grocery shopping that day and thought doing it while Emily was at practice was the best time. The one practice she missed, of course something went wrong. 

“What happened?! Is she okay?” She shrieked, putting the car in drive. 

“Just get here, fast!” And then Lindsey hung up. 

It was a good thing the drive was only about ten minutes, though it felt like an hour with the way Kelley’s brain was going through every worst-case scenario. _Concussion. Broken leg. Broken ribs. Spinal. TBI._

The tires screeched as she pulled into the parking garage. She moved as fast as her crappy ankles would allow. Lindsey didn’t even say where they were. Should she go to the training room? The locker rooms? The field? She made a decision and headed for the grass of Providence Park. She came out of the tunnel and stopped dead. 

There were a few dozen bouquets of roses lining a pathway toward the center circle, filled with more roses than Kelley had ever seen. A mix of red, white, and pink leading her eyes to the person standing in the middle. Emily was smiling bigger than Kelley thought capable, her eyes almost invisible. She motioned to Kelley, beckoning her to the center of the field. 

Kelley walked slowly, the tears that she shed in terror were easily replaced by tears of happiness. When she reached Emily, all she wanted was to hug her. 

“Making me think you were hurt? Not cool.” 

“Pulled off the surprise though, didn’t I?” Emily smirked before getting down on one knee. “I already forgot everything I planned on saying when you walked in. But that’s okay, because you’re all that matters. Kelley, I love you so much and I can’t imagine a life without you in it. Will you make me the happiest girl in the world and marry me?” 

She opened the tiny ring box, revealing a thin, gold band with a single, solitaire-cut diamond. Emily remembered the conversation they’d had when Alex got married. Kelley had called her best friend’s ring “ostentatious” and “a little gaudy”. So, Emily found the perfect ring for Kelley, a perfect symbol of their love. Understated, yet sophisticated, and strong. 

“Hell yes!” Kelley screamed, pulling Emily up to her eye level and crashing their lips together. 

They’re lost in their own moment until a few familiar voices came over the PA system. 

“Get a room, losers!” Lindsey groaned. 

“We get it, you’re in love!” That one was Sinc. 

“Where did you find all these roses?” Kling sounded confused. 

Both Emily and Kelley simultaneously raised their hands and pointed a middle finger towards the press box. 

*** 

Her first day went well, probably as well as to be expected. Driving home, Kelley had a small smile on her face, excited to see her family and tell them all about it. 

“Anybody home?” She called, walking in the front door. She was, of course, greeted by Bagel’s yips of excitement. 

“In here!” She heard Emily shout from down the hall in the bedroom. 

Following her voice, Kelley found herself in the master bathroom, where Emily was lying on the floor, attempting to reattach the pipe to the sink. 

“What are you doing?” 

“Fulfilling your handyman fantasy.” Emily smirked. 

Kelley blushed lightly before shaking her head. “Seriously, what are you doing?” 

Pointing to the opposite counter, Kelley saw her engagement ring and wedding bands sitting on a paper towel. “I wouldn’t put them on just yet, should probably get them cleaned first. You would not believe the level of gross-ness in our sink.” Emily visibly shudders before climbing out from under the plumbing. Her face was a little sweaty, a smear of some unknown grime just above her left eyebrow. “I found a stand-in for you, though.” She quickly pecked Kelley’s lips before stepping out into the bedroom. 

“A stand-in? What, like a Ring Pop or one from a gumball machine?” Kelley chortled, following her wife. 

“Not quite, but good idea!” Emily walked into their closet and pulled a tiny box out of one of her sneakers. “Now, bear in mind, this was supposed to be a birthday present, so you might not like what you get then.” Emily presented her wife with the box. 

Kelley opened it to find a thin, gold band covered in tiny rubies. “Emily...” 

“Happy Tuesday, I guess.” Emily leaned in and captured Kelley lips with her own. 

They allowed to themselves to lose track of time for a moment, until Kelley snapped out of it. “Wait, where’s Gracie?” 

“My mom wanted some grandmother bonding time, it’s $5 movie night.” 

“So... it’s just us?” Kelley asked, somewhat suggestively, and making her wife raise an eyebrow. “Well, maybe you could help me with something? Use your handy-woman skills?” She winked, walking out of their large closet, making a show of dropping her top on the bedroom floor, causing Emily to chase after her. 

“Yes, ma’am! I think I can fix that!” 

_I've come to know that love's not only_   
_The best days or the worst days_   
_Love is the Tuesdays_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a little later than orginally planned, life gets in the way sometimes. I hope y'all enjoyed! Let me know your favorite/least favorite parts in the comments. Stay well, as always (and vote)!


	10. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “When did you become the more responsible one in this relationship?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was one that I thought was going to be difficult to write, but it ended up being one of my favorites!

“Em? Where is the tape gun-thingy?” 

Kelley wandered through their house, navigating the maze of moving boxes. Every time she finished packing a box, she was amazed at how many things they had acquired between moving into this house and now. She followed the sound of giggling voices into the family room. She found a massive pile of boxes assembled in a square. 

“Hello? Anybody in here?” 

Suddenly, Emily popped up wearing an old pirate hat and eye patch. Gracie’s little blonde head was barely visible, but Kelley could see her waving around her toy sword. 

“Hey, Kel! I mean, ‘ _ahoy, matey_!’” Emily smiled at her. 

“I see the packing is going quite well in here.” Kelley raised her eyebrow while speaking sarcastically. 

“I mean, we _start_ _ed_ packing the dress-up box, but then we just couldn’t resist building one more fort before we go to the new house. And of course, we had to defend it from invaders!” Emily swung her own play sword around, accidentally chucking it across the room. Kelley’s eyes followed it before turning back to her wife, who was blushing lightly from embarrassment. 

“A true white knight.” Kelley chuckled. 

“You know,” Emily said, lifting her eye patch. “We can always use another swashbuckler to help us out.” She held out another pirate hat toward Kelley. 

“We are supposed to be out of here in two days and we’re nowhere near ready!” 

“But _Mama!_ ” Emily gave an exaggerated whine. 

“ _Mama!”_ Gracie copied. 

Well, there was no way she could say no to _that._ Kelley crawled into the fort, snatching the hat off Emily’s head, leaving her with the tattered extra one. Emily looked at her in mock indignation before shoving it onto her head. After an hour of playing pirate, Gracie’s eyes started to droop. Kelley checked her watch and saw that they had missed naptime. 

“Gracie girl, I think it’s time for a nap.” As if on cue, both Gracie _and_ Emily yawned heavily, making Kelley smile. 

“But I’m not tired!” Her little girl whined before yawning again. 

“What if we napped right here?” Emily suggested. “How often do you get to sleep on a pirate ship?” She laid down on the floor, tipping her hat down over her eyes, and laced her hands behind her head. “Seems comfy to me. What do you think, peach?” 

Gracie climbed on top of Emily and rested her head on her mom’s chest. Kelley sat down next to her girls, stroking Gracie’s back in hopes to lull her to sleep. 

“Why do we have to move?” The little girl asked sleepily. 

Kelley gave her wife a pained look. They hadn’t ever really planned on moving. But they wanted more kids, which meant they needed more space, another bedroom at least. Emily and Kelley loved their little house. It was where they took their first steps as a _family._ It was the only home their daughter knew. Emily just smiled that stupidly soft smile that Kelley fell in love with so many years ago. 

“Because I need a bigger room.” She said flatly. “Mama hogs all the blankets on the bed too much, I need my own room. If we stayed here, I’d have to bunk with you!” Emily bumped her index finger on Gracie’s nose, making her giggle a little. “Do you want to hear the story about when Mama and I first moved here? It was long before you were even a twinkle in my eye.” 

Gracie nodded her head against Emily's chest, bunching her shirt with her little hands. 

“Well, you know that your Mama has _terrible_ taste, right? She wanted a house that was tie-dye! Can you believe that?” 

*** 

“Kelley. We _cannot_ move here.” 

“Why not?” 

Emily gestured wildly at the little ranch-style home in front of them. It was a foreclosure, all the windows boarded up with plywood. The veritable jungle that was the front yard was a little terrifying, any shutters that were still there were hanging by a thread against the front of the house. Half of the brick was painted neon green, the other half electric blue. 

“You said you wanted a fixer-upper!” Kelley exclaimed. She thought the house was cool, she was envisioning it all made over and how wonderful it might be. 

“This is not a fixer-upper. This is a demolish and start over. Don't forget we also have a wedding to plan and pay for.” 

“When did you become the more responsible one in this relationship?” Kelley chortled. 

“I don’t know but I don't like it. Take it back, please!” 

Kelley laughed, wrapping her arms around her fiancé. “Fine, we can look at some boring houses too.” 

A week later, they found the perfect home. It was a small, white farmhouse, on a quiet street near a park. It had an adorable front porch with a swing that was included, a large yard that was already semi-fenced in, and a two-car garage. It was only thirty minutes away from the stadium, so Emily didn’t have too much of a commute now that she was playing for Atlanta, unless she hit rush hour traffic. They toured the inside, which definitely needed updating, but nothing too major. In fact, it was a lot of cosmetic things they could do themselves. They planned to get the kitchen professionally redone though, since both of them loved to cook. It was one of Emily’s wishes for her dream home, a chef’s kitchen. 

The only drawback was the number of bedrooms. “What about when we have kids? Are they going to have to share?” Kelley asked. 

“Emma and I shared a room until we were in high school, we turned out okay.” Emily shrugged. 

“That’s debatable.” Kelley skirted away before Emily could smack her. “When we have kids, we can build an addition.” 

“Since when did you become such a construction and home improvement expert?” 

“I’ve seen enough HGTV, I could figure it out.” 

They had to sleep on a mattress pad on the floor for the first couple days, but it was worth it to be in _their_ home. Not a hotel room, not a team-issued apartment, and not in a condo (Kelley hated Emily’s in Atlanta. _“Lofts are for artsy weirdos_ _and people that want_ _one of those_ _tiny homes_ _."_ ) Waking up next to Kelley and knowing she’d get to do it every morning for the rest of their lives made the back-pain worth it. That first morning, Kelley rolled over to see Emily, who proceeded to blush with embarrassment, staring at her. 

“What are you looking at?” Kelley asked sleepily. 

“You.” Emily leaned in to kiss her. 

“God, you’re mushy in the morning.” Kelley snarked, melting into the kiss. 

Once they made it through the kitchen remodel, Emily knew that there was nothing in the world that could split them apart. Kelley didn’t speak to her for two days after disagreeing over the backsplash. It wasn’t even over the color (they both agreed on white) but the shape of the tile. Kelley wanted chevron, while Emily wanted straight, clean lines. It took them three months to agree on a paint color for their bedroom. In the end, just like every time before, Emily gave Kelley what she wanted. There was no way she could ever say no to that pout, she learned that _long_ ago. 

Emily put herself in charge of the deck they wanted to build on the back of the house. She worked it out with their contractor, but she wanted to do most of the work herself. 

Building a deck in the middle of a Georgia summer may not have been her best decision, but at least, for once in her life, she was a little bit tan. Kelley would sit on a lounge chair in the yard with a book most days, though her eyes often drifted. It made Emily feel a little sexy, her fiancé watching her. Even if she was in an old pair of jean shorts and a cut off tank she’d owned since before college. Sometimes she’d get Kelley to help her, but it almost always devolved into some kind of competition or they’d forget about working all together. 

They had enough space for an outdoor dining table plus a grill. Down the steps, they built a fire pit. It became their favorite spot, always sitting outside in the evenings. 

“Who taught you how to make s’mores?!” Emily asked, incredulous as Kelley stuck her marshmallow into the flames and let it catch fire. 

“What do you mean?” Kelley was putting the graham cracker on top while she spoke. 

“You don’t just char them, you animal! Toasting marshmallows is an art!” She pointed to her own food, which she was gently rotating just outside of the flames, waiting for it to turn golden brown. 

“You should know by now; I don’t have the patience for that. Plus, the judges on _Chopped_ always say they like char marks on their dishes.” 

Emily shook her head in disbelief. “First of all, they’re _grilling_ on that show. Secondly, they want a light char, not for you to just shove the food into the flames until it disintegrates.” 

“To-mate-to, to-mot-to, I say.” Kelley waved her hand. “When everybody comes for the party next week, we'll prove who makes the better s’mores.” 

Kelley took a bite of her food, the gooey candy dripping onto her chin. Emily leaned in, kissing it away. “It is so on!” 

A week later, all of their friends descended upon their newly finished home. There was a blind s’more taste test, which Emily won almost unanimously. Leave it Allie to screw up the curve. 

That evening, as the party began to die down, Kelley found Emily sitting back in the Adirondack chair, feet propped up against the fire, chatting with Lindsey about something over beers. Ferguson and Bagel were running around, playing keep away with a toy. Kelley climbed into Emily's lap while she spoke with her best friend, leaning back so that her hair brushed the underside of her fiancé's chin. Emily wrapped her in her arms, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head. 

“Make me one?” Kelley asked quietly. 

“One what?” 

“A s’more. Since you’re the expert and all.” She said, giving Emily a bemused look. 

Emily kissed her softly and smiled. “Sure, Kel.” She knew Kelley wouldn't admit it, but she definitely liked the one Emily made better than her own. 

Eventually, the party ended, and all their friends went home or to their hotel. Except Lindsey, who was staying in their guest bedroom for a couple of days. Kelley carried a trash bag around the house, clearing empty bottles and plates. She jumped slightly when Emily wrapped her up from behind. 

“We should make Lindsey do that, she’s not paying rent, you know.” 

“She’s our guest, dum-dum, I’m not making her clean.” 

“I will!” Emily kissed the side of Kelley’s neck as she stepped away to pick up a napkin on the coffee table. “Hey.” Emily reached for Kelley’s hands. “Just leave it, I’ll finish in the morning. Take a second, look around.” 

“At what?” 

“We’re in our home.” Emily smiled. “Maybe in a few years it won’t be just us.” She walked over to the door of the pantry and opened it. “Think about it, you know how in your parents’ house you have that growth chart of you and your siblings on the wall? I thought maybe ours could go here.” 

Kelley had to take a deep breath to stop herself from crying as she found Emily's arms. “I can’t wait.” 

*** 

Kelley shot up, slipped out of the fort and began digging around in the laundry room for their toolbox. She knew that they had the ones she needed somewhere. 

“Babe, what are you doing?” Emily asked when she saw Kelley attempting to take the pantry door off its hinges, her voice thick with sleep. 

“We can’t leave this here. What if... what if the new owners just paint over it?” Kelley ran her fingers along the marks on the door, documenting Gracie’s growth since she was one. “They can’t– they just can’t...” She was on the verge of a panic attack. 

“Hey, hey, it’s okay.” Emily rushed to her wife’s side. “Kel, I already told the movers about this door. They’re going to install it in the new kitchen. This piece of Cornelia Street is coming with us, don’t worry.” 

She let out a heavy breath against Emily's chest. “I love you. I love you so much, Em.” 

“I know.” Emily chuckled before pressing her lips to Kelley’s hair. “I love you too, crazy lady. But you have to stop stressing so much, it can’t be good for what we’re trying to do here.” Emily rested one of her hands lightly on Kelley’s stomach. “Promise?” 

Kelley tilted her head slightly to meet her wife’s lips. “Promise.” 

That night, after Kelley and Gracie were fast asleep, Emily tip-toed down the stairs to finish packing up the house. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y'all enjoyed! Only two more to go! Leave a comment to let me know what you think and have a wonderful week!


	11. Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You’re my favorite.”

“Come on y’all! We’re going to miss our flight!” Kelley called up the stairs, stuffing an extra sweater in her backpack. She knew that Emily always got cold on planes but never remembered to keep a sweater where she could access it in the air. Sometimes, Kelley wondered if Emily would forget her own head if it wasn’t screwed on tight. 

Suddenly, the sound of two people thundering down the stairs filled the foyer. Emily scooped Gracie into her arms and slung the strap of the duffel bag over her other shoulder. 

“Your bellhop, reporting for duty ma’am.” Emily gave a mock salute and Kelley let out a sarcastic laugh. 

“Let’s go you two, we can’t be late for Aunt Lindsey’s big day!” 

She ushered her wife and daughter into the car, which she had started from inside the house, so the heat was already circulating while she buckled Gracie’s car seat. Emily tossed the luggage into the trunk before climbing into the driver’s side. Kelley sat next to her, holding Emily’s free hand in her lap as they drove the 45 minutes to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. 

“Why does Aunt Linny live so far away?” 

When Gracie first started talking, she was quite the blabbermouth (something she learned from her Mama, Emily liked to say). When she was about 16 months, her babbles started becoming actual words. Lindsey had come to visit them for a week that summer, and they all tried to get Gracie to say her name. She had already nailed “Mama” (her first word, which Kelley planned to hold over Emily's head forever), “Mommy”, and “Ay-gul” (Bagel), but she couldn’t get the D in Lindsey’s name. So, baby Gracie called her “Linny” and it had stuck even so many years later. 

“I ask her that all the time!” Emily agrees. “We could visit her so much more!” 

“But we always get to play in the snow when we go to her house, that’s fun right? We can’t do that very often at home.” Kelley reminds them, turning in her seat to look back at her little girl and smile. 

They took a yearly trip to Denver every winter before Christmas to see Lindsey and her family. It was during their visit last year that her boyfriend proposed. Both Emily and Kelley were so thrilled to see their friend finally so happy. After years of on-and-off with someone neither of them liked, she finally found a wonderful man who treated her the way she deserved. 

“Is there going to be snow at Linny’s wedding?” Gracie asked excitedly. 

“I don’t know. We’ll be inside, but it would be pretty, huh?” 

They walked through the crowded terminal toward their gate, Kelley taking the luggage she’d packed for herself and her wife, while Emily held Gracie’s hand and she wheeled her own little suitcase. 

Once they boarded the plane, Gracie settled into the middle seat of their row. As much as she hated it, Kelley gave her the iPad to play games and distract her from the take-off, her least favorite part. Kelley had spent way too much time researching how screen time could affect their baby, well before she was even born. While they were in the air and Emily was passed out, mouth wide open, with her head resting against the window, Gracie looked up from her game to ask Kelley a question. 

“Did you and Mommy have a wedding?” 

“We sure did, baby.” Kelley ran her hand through her daughter’s blonde hair. 

“Why wasn’t I invited?” The little girl looked dejected. 

Kelley laughed a little. “Oh peach, Mommy and I got married before you were born! We definitely would have invited you.” She leaned over and pressed a kiss to blonde hair. “Do you want me to tell you about it?” Gracie nodded. Kelley looked over at Emily, at her wife, and pulled out her phone to show Gracie a picture from that day. 

*** 

“Em! You can’t be here!” Kelley screeched, climbing out of the hotel bed to shove Emily, who had shown up at her door in her pajamas, back out into the hallway. “It’s bad luck!” 

“But I can’t sleep.” Emily whined. “It’s too weird sleeping without you.” 

Kelley thought she might melt right then and there. And to be honest, she hadn’t been able to sleep much either. Emily wrapped her in a tight hug, pressing a kiss into Kelley’s hair. She was only a few inches taller, but sometimes, it felt like Emily was just so much bigger. The way she cocooned Kelley in her arms, steadying as nerves threatened to overtake her. 

“I guess you can stay here. But you have to get ready in your own room in the morning. You can’t see my dress before the ceremony.” 

“Well, duh. You can’t see mine either.” Emily said competitively, already sliding under the covers as she spoke, as if she knew there was no way her fiancé would _actually_ turn her away. She reached out greedily for Kelley, who curled into her side, resting her head on Emily’s chest. “I love you; you know.” 

“I love you, too. Now let me sleep, I need my beauty rest. All of this,” Kelley gestured toward her own face, “doesn’t just come naturally.” Emily laughed heartily, pulling Kelley impossibly closer as she closed her eyes. 

By the morning, Emily had slipped out of the room. Kelley was brought out of her deep sleep with a heavy bang on the door. 

“Kelley! Open up, it’s the beautification committee!” Alex shouted from the hallway. 

She opened the door and Alex, Erin, and Allie barreled in, carrying garment bags and makeup kits. First things first, Alex shoved Kelley into the shower, reminding her to shave. When she stepped back out into the room, they had set up a spread of brunch food. Alex handed her a mimosa before guiding her to sit in front of the mirror. Her best friend fiddled with Kelley’s hair before deciding on a low braid. When she tied it off, Alex stepped back to admire her work. 

“I should be charging you for this kind of service.” Kelley reached around and tried to smack her. “Oh, I almost forgot!” Alex shooed Allie, who had been munching happily in the bed, so she could root around in her bag. “Sonny asked me to give this to you. Figured I should wait to put on your makeup until after you read it.” Kelley looked at her best friend indignantly. “Oh please, you are so dramatic and cry at everything!” Alex handed her an envelope and she immediately recognized Emily’s neat, all-caps print. 

_Kelley,_

_I know we decided on_ _traditional_ _vows because I can’t memorize anything and you don’t want to cry at the altar (good luck_ _with that_ _, by the way_ _)_ _but there are some things I want to tell you. You know, I remember the exact moment when I_ _knew_ _you were it for me._ _You were driving us to training in Atlanta and_ _there was_ _some stupid, incessant_ _pop_ _song_ _playing on the radio. And you were singing along at the top of your lungs. I’d never heard you sing_ _like that_ _before (you’re not great so that made sense)_ _and I reali_ _zed you felt comfortable enough to embarrass yourself like that in front of me. That was the day I knew I was in love with you, long before I_ _ever_ _told you._ _Thank goodness I’ve honed your taste in music since then._

 _I love you so much,_ _Miss_ _Kelley, and I can’t imagine a day_ _I won’t. I cannot wait to marry you today and be married to you for the rest of my life. You are the most amazing human and I_ _know, when the time comes, you’re going to make the most amazing mother_ _._

 _I’m definitely going to cry, just warning you now. I can’t wait to see you_ _today; I'll_ _be the one_ _in white in case you forget_ _._ _I hope you like your gift_ _!_

_Love always,_

_Emily_

There were tears streaming down Kelley’s face as she read the letter. Inside the card, she found a dainty gold medallion hanging from a matching chain. Stamped on the front were the initials _K+E_ , while the back was stamped with the day’s date. Alex took the necklace from her hands gently, clasping it around her neck. Kelley touched her fingers to it, and suddenly whipped around and got out the chair, wiping her cheek. 

“Al, do you have paper? A pen? I need to tell her!” 

Erin stood up, pulling a pad and pen from her purse. She stroked Kelley’s hair gently as she handed them over. “You got a good one, baby sister.” 

Kelley braced against the dresser, scribbling a note to her future wife. 

_Emily,_

_M_ _y_ _sweet girl_ _, my Emmy_ _. Neat trick, making me cry now so I don’t have any left by the ceremony?_ _You’re always looking out for me._

 _I’m not nearly as good with words as you are, but I hope you know just how much I love you._ _I wish I could point to a specific moment, but I honestly can’t remember a day where I didn’t love you_ _. I cannot_ _wait to walk through this life with you beside me._

_And I’ve always had good taste in music!_

_Yours forever (!!!)_ _,_

_Kelley_

Somehow, they both made it through the ceremony without too many tears. Emily gripped Kelley’s hands, rubbing soft circles with her thumbs, as they repeated their vows to one another and placed the rings on each other's finger. Emily dipped her somewhat gracefully as they connected for their first kiss as a married couple. 

They found each other on the dance floor later that evening for their first dance. It was funny really; they had spent so much time trying to find a song they both liked, but now it was just white noise. The two of them were so wrapped up in each other that it seemed like the world had melted around them. 

“Nice bling you got there.” Emily grinned, nodding toward the necklace. 

“I thought we decided no gifts! I don’t have anything for you.” 

“ _You_ decided no gifts. Plus, I have the ultimate gift right here.” Emily squeezed Kelley tight, pressing a soft kiss to her wife’s ( _her wife!_ ) lips. 

“You are so unbelievably cheesy!” Kelley joked before kissing her again. 

The night went on wonderfully, there was dinner and dancing for all, and Emily always seemed to be in the center of it. Kelley was content to sit back in her chair, sipping her beer, and watch Emily. She had this perfect smile plastered on her face and anytime the two of them made eye contact, Kelley could see the way her eyes sparkled from all the way across the room. 

Soon enough, the night began to wind down. Any guests that had children were packing up to leave and Kelley was making the rounds, saying thank you to their guests. Suddenly, the music cut off and Emily’s voice filled the room. 

“I know we’re winding down, but I was hoping y’all could help me with a little something? See, my dazzling wife here is under the assumption that she has always had fantastic taste in music, and I happen to disagree quite strongly. I’m going to play y’all a song and I need to know if liking this qualifies as ‘good taste’.” Emily grinned and turned to the DJ, whispering in his ear. 

“Em... you didn’t...” 

Kelley warned, but she was too late. The sound filled the room as Emily danced her way over to her wife. The sugary pop music blasted, and she felt herself flushing red. Emily just giggled as her hands found Kelley’s hips, swaying them to the music. 

“You’re my favorite.” She said offhand. 

“Favorite what?” Kelley wondered. 

“Well, just that. My favorite pair of eyes to look into, my favorite dance partner, my favorite way to spend an evening. Fill in the blank, Kel. I left it like that for a reason.” Emily smiled down at her. 

“You’re my favorite too.” 

*** 

Kelley sat in one of the front pews with Alex’s family along with Christen, who was trying to corral her three little ones, since both Tobin and Emily were members of the wedding party. There was a light but steady snow falling outside, casting a beautiful glow over the church. When the music cued, they all turned to face the back of the church. The first thing she saw melted her heart more than she thought it would. Emily was crouched down in her blush-colored bridesmaid’s dress, one hand resting gently on Gracie’s shoulder. She used her bouquet to point down the aisle and sent Gracie on her way. 

She looked so absolutely precious in her flower girl dress, a wreath of baby’s breath on top of her head, smiling as she tossed the pale, pink rose petals. Kelley hated being _that_ person at a wedding, but she had to pull her phone out to videotape their little girl. Gracie stopped and waved at her Mama once she got near the altar and Kelley waved back, pointing her forward. Once she got to the end, Kelley pulled her baby in her into lap and they watched Emily and then Lindsey, who looked beautiful in her white dress. 

Later that evening, she watched her wife dance with Gracie standing on her now bare feet and as they spun around, she absentmindedly touched her fingers to the necklace around her neck. It had two small medallions now, the second with a _G_ on it, with their daughter’s birthdate on the back. Kelley moved her hand down to her stomach and the barely-there bump, thinking about how she couldn’t wait to add another piece to their little family. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y'all liked this one! Only one more left and I bet you can guess where the journey will end. Leave a comment to let me know what you thought and have a great week!


	12. Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What a day that was!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not a doctor, nor have I ever had children, so just go with it. Mentions of miscarriage/infertility.

"Babe?” Kelley nudged her wife on the other side of the bed. “Emily, wake up!” 

“Just five more minutes.” Emily’s voice was thick with sleep as she rolled onto her side, facing away. Any other time, Kelley would have let her wake up slowly. There was nothing Kelley loved more than a sleepy Emily. _Well, maybe a naked Emily_ _, but that’s a different story._

“No, now!” Kelley’s voice was adamant, with pain in her tone. 

Emily scrambled in the sheets, finding her wife sitting up, back resting against the headboard and breathing deeply. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt? Is the baby okay?” Emily rambled frantically, running her hands over Kelley’s very pronounced baby bump. 

“It’s time.” Kelley said quietly, a huge smile on her face. “I’ve been timing the contractions.” 

“Why didn’t you wake me the second they started?!” Emily was standing now, pacing the room. 

“I wanted to be sure. I’ve done this before, you know.” Kelley reached her hands out so Emily could help her off the bed. She held Kelley’s hand as they walked toward the car, the darkness of the early morning (or was it late night?) casting a cool, purplish-black glow over everything. “Wait, where’s Gracie?” She asked as she climbed into the backseat. 

“Shit. Gracie!” Emily ran back inside, bumping her head on the door frame as she went, and Kelley couldn’t help but chuckle until the next contraction came. When they came back outside, Emily was holding Gracie, who was still in her pajamas with wild bedhead, talking on the phone while trying to lock the front door. She handed the phone off to their little girl, letting her babble while Emily got the door locked. 

“It’s your lucky day, peach, you get to ride in the front with me!” 

Gracie clapped her hands excitedly as Emily fastened her seatbelt. The wives made eye contact in the rearview mirror as Kelley tried to telepathically explain that if Emily wanted to live long enough to meet her new daughter, she better not go _one mile_ over the speed limit with both their babies in the car. Gracie turned around to look at her mom in the backseat. 

“Are you okay, Mama?” Her excited smile quickly turned to concern when Kelley’s face contorted in pain. 

“Oh yes, your baby sister is just so excited to meet you she couldn’t wait another day! We have to go to the hospital so you can see her.” She pressed her hand into the back of Emily’s seat, trying to ride out the contraction. 

“My mom is meeting us at the hospital and your parents are on their way.” Emily reached back to take Kelley’s hand in hers, squeezing it tight. 

They get to the hospital and were assigned a room. Emily carried a still sleepy Gracie, who was resting her head on her mom’s shoulder. They got Kelley situated in her bed, hooked up to monitors and wires. She could tell that Gracie was tense, worried about her mother. Kelley smiled softly at her little girl, motioning her forward. 

“Come here, baby.” Kelley scooted over a little so that Gracie could lay next to her while Emily stepped out to talk with a nurse. “Are you excited to be a big sister?” She nodded; eyes wide as she looked at the IV in Kelley’s arm. 

Emily came back in the room when Kelley groaned in pain as the next contraction hit, which made Gracie start to cry. Her overly empathic nature was another thing she got from her Mommy. Emily was always the one who loved big, always in tune with other people’s emotions and thoughts. She picked Gracie up and held her close. She was happy that Emily's mother would be there soon, so she could take Gracie home for a little while or at least keep her out of the room, knowing that Kelley would get increasingly agitated as the labor intensified. The contraction ended and Kelley rested her head back against the pillows. 

“You know, I remember the last time we were in one of the rooms.” Emily smiled, looking over at Kelley. “That was the day we met you, peach!” Emily squeezed their teary-eyed daughter close and Kelley gave a tired laugh. 

“What a day that was!” 

*** 

Emily’s heart sank that day in the doctor’s office. She and Kelley were finally ready to start their family and they had planned on getting Emily pregnant as soon as possible. She had suffered an injury that would keep her out of the second half of the NWSL season. That combined with the offseason, the timing finally made sense. Kelley didn’t think she ever really wanted to be pregnant. A long time ago, she had decided adoption would probably be her best bet. But then, she met Emily, and if she could, Kelley would have a million baby Sonnetts running around their house. 

But then they got news that even if Emily did get pregnant, the chances of her carrying to term was extremely unlikely. The two of them sat in the overly sterile room, while Emily sobbed into her wife’s chest. The one thing her body was designed to do, and she failed. 

_Incompetent cervix._

_High possibility of miscarriage._

_Hemorrhaging._

When the doctor came back in to give them some literature and discharge them, Kelley turned her attention away from her wife. “Can you check me?” She asked confidently. 

Emily sat up straight, her tears stopped momentarily. “But you said... “ 

“I know what I said. But I also know that I want to make a baby with you. If this is the way, then let's do it.” 

When Kelley was given the clean bill of health, she had another question. Something that floated around in her head from the moment that she made the choice to get checked out. “Is it possible to use her eggs? Almost like a surrogacy?” At those words, Emily started sobbing all over again. 

The spent another hour with the doctor, talking about all the possibilities. When they left that day, it was with the appointment for their first IVF session. 

“Kelley, you don’t have to do this. I know you never wanted to be pregnant. I can try, we can adopt, there are other ways... “ Emily rambled, wringing her hands as she got ready for bed until Kelley got up and wrapped her wife in a tight hug. 

“There is not a chance in hell that I would let you risk your health when I am fully capable of this. I mean, Em, this is your life we’re talking about here. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you or our baby because I let you try this. This may not have been the plan, but that’s okay. I want a little blonde munchkin running around this house.” 

“But what about your playing?” 

“There’s always a chance to come back. You know how much I love a challenge.” Kelley winked. “Plus, we already talked about me retiring, nothing’s been decided. I can’t keep up with the young'uns anymore though. And that’s okay. It’s time for a new adventure.” 

“I have one condition though.” Emily said thoughtfully. “I want a little Kelley running around here too when the time comes.” 

Kelley’s eyes watered a little as she nodded. Then the mood lightened again in a way only Emily was capable of. “You know this means no alcohol for the foreseeable future, right?” 

“Oh, well in that case...” Kelley said sarcastically before slugging her wife in the arm. 

It took three tries but finally, on a cold day in January, those two pink lines showed up. They sat on the floor of the bathroom for hours that day, crying tears of joy. Emily cooked one of Kelley’s favorite meals for dinner and gave her massage before bed. 

“I love you, mama.” Emily whispered, pressing her lips to Kelley’s hair as she fell asleep that night. 

For the next nine months, Emily waited on Kelley hand and foot. Anytime she was gone for NWSL games or national team duty, she made sure someone was there with her. Whether that was their parents, a local friend, or, in an extreme case, she would fly someone in to be with her pregnant wife. Usually it was Ali and/or Ashlyn, because they were closest. 

When they found out they were having a girl, the nursery came together. Soft, pale pink alongside deep navy made it _just_ girly enough without being nauseating. Emily drew some sketches of animals to hang on the wall, and they got a custom piece showcasing the name they had finally decided on. _Grace Alexandra._

Each day they got closer to the due date, the harder it was for Emily to leave the house. She hated being gone even if it was just for a few hours at practice. She had a national team game in California two weeks before Kelley’s due date that she was totally okay with missing, but Kelley wouldn’t hear of it. 

“Absolutely not. You have a World Cup roster to make. The peanut and I will be just fine until you get back.” She rested her hands over her stomach while Emily massaged her ankles absentmindedly, something she had always done for Kelley since before they had even began dating. 

“But what if she’s early? Or if something goes wrong?” Emily asked nervously. 

“I’ll be with my parents, Em. Besides, we had a chat, and she knows to stay in there until Mommy gets back. Our first heart-to-heart, well, heart to bladder honestly because I choose to believe she was kicking in agreement.” 

The morning after the game, Emily got a text from Kelley’s mother while waiting for the shuttle to the airport. 

_It’s go time!_

Emily dropped her phone, smashing the screen. “Damn it!” She cried. 

Suddenly, Lindsey was by her side and sitting her down on the bench outside the hotel. 

“She’s coming, Linds. She's coming and I’m going to miss it!” 

“Not if I have anything to say about it! Tell Kelley to keep her legs closed as long as she can!” Lindsey beckoned the rest of their teammates over and began delegating duties. Rather than waiting on separate commercial flights, they all managed to pool together and get the whole team on a private plane to Atlanta within an hour. 

“You guys didn’t have to do this for me.” Emily said through grateful tears. 

“Who said this was for you?” Alex asked flatly. “I need to be there to meet my goddaughter. She’s named after me, for crying out loud.” 

“You’re just happy Kelley couldn't stay in as good of shape as you did when you had Charlie.” Someone, who sounded suspiciously like Rose Lavelle, snickered from the back of the plane. 

Lindsey held Emily’s hand for the whole flight. When they touched down, a line of cars was on the tarmac, there to take them to the hospital. “It pays to make Alex Morgan your baby’s godparent.” Her best friend chuckled. 

The intake nurse at the hospital had to do a double take when she saw a group of thirty women descending upon her desk. She only let Emily into the delivery room, forcing the rest of the team back into the waiting room. Emily smiled to herself, think about how keeping all those women contained would be a job in and of itself. 

When she got there, Kelley was screaming. Emily raced to her side and took her wife’s hand. Kelley gripped it so hard that Emily swore that _at least_ one of her fingers was broken. As the hours pressed on, the screams turned to tears. Kelley was exhausted, hair plastered to her forehead with sweat. 

“Alright, Kelley, just a few more big pushes and she’ll be here!” The doctor called up to them. 

Kelley shook her head violently and cried out in pain. “I can’t Em, I can’t! It hurts! It hurts so much.” 

Emily’s heart broke seeing her wife in so much pain. She never signed on for this, it was supposed to be Emily. Emily should have been the one shouldering this burden. She gripped Kelley’s hand and threw her other arm around Kelley’s shoulders, speaking into her ear. 

“You can do this; I know you can! You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met. Just a little longer and she’ll be here. One day, I’m going to tell her just how strong her mama is.” Emily pressed a kiss to Kelley’s sweaty temple as she pushed again. 

Their daughter came sliding into the world a minute later, perfect in every way. Kelley laid back against the pillows, breathing heavily. Emily watched the doctors clean her off and then they let her cut the cord before wrapping her in a pink blanket. She just stood there, in awe. This tiny human came from her, from _them._

“Want to hold her?” The nurse asked softly, pulling Emily out of her trance. 

She nodded excitedly and then her little girl was placed in her arms. She had a small tuft of blonde hair that stuck straight up on the top of her head and she looked up at Emily with a pair of deep, blue eyes. Once Emily found her feet, she slowly walked over to the bedside. As tired as her wife obviously was, Kelley reached out, a huge smile on her face. Emily placed their baby in her wife’s arms and sat on the edge or the bed, smiling at her two beautiful girls. She pressed a soft kiss to Kelley’s hair. 

“We did good, Em.” Kelley couldn’t pull her gaze away if she tried. 

“ _You_ did good, babe.” 

Kelley leaned back into Emily's embrace, still looking down at the bundle in her arms. “Welcome to the world, Gracie.” 

*** 

Emily stepped out the delivery room hours later to find all their family members, plus Alex and Lindsey, waiting in their chairs. Well, Lindsey was pacing but that was normal for her. This was her goddaughter coming into the world, after all. 

“She’s here!” Emily squealed, getting everyone’s attention. 

She found Gracie sitting in her grandmother’s lap, eyes brightening when she saw everyone else was smiling. Emily came over and reached for her, pulling Gracie, who looped her arms around her mom’s neck, into her arms. 

“Do you want to meet your baby sister?” Emily asked softly and Gracie nodded her head. 

Inside the room. Kelley was propped up against the pillows in her hospital bed, another bundle of pink fabric in her arms. When Emily came back in, she looked up at her daughter, still seemingly apprehensive. 

“Hi, peach!” She cooed, trying to make sure Gracie knew this was something happy. “Come here, there’s someone I want you to meet!” 

Emily walked them over to the bedside. She had a head of thick, brunette hair and brilliant green eyes. She looked up at her new family, eyes blinking slowly. 

“Gracie, this is your sister! Katherine Lindsey O’Hara.” 

_And all was well._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts? Comments? Felt like we needed a third generation of KO.
> 
> Thank y'all so much for coming on this journey with me! I really enjoyed writing this and your responses to each chapter have been so wonderful! (I reserve the right to add more to this if the inspiration hits)


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